On the afternoon of January 29 (Vietnam time), two events shook the entire LCK. Firstly, Gen.G Esports had their winning streak in the LCK Spring 2022 come to an end. The opponent was not a top team, but rather KT Rolster, who was struggling with a record of 2 wins – 3 losses (prior to this matchup). In the final match of the LCK Spring before the Lunar New Year break in 2022, Gen.G failed to secure a victory and was temporarily overtaken by T1 in the standings.
The other piece of news came from within DRX – the team that had just secured a victory against Nongshim RedForce, who are currently in the top 4. The issue did not stem from NS unexpectedly losing their second consecutive match to the weaker opponent DRX but from the coaching staff of DRX. Just before the match between DRX and NS took place, Coach Kim was removed from the roster of this team.
With his removal from the roster, Coach Kim has effectively concluded his coaching duties with DRX for the time being. Although the team has not made any official announcement regarding the departure of the coach who won the 2018 World Championship with Invictus Gaming, it clearly indicates that DRX is facing significant issues.
Later that evening, Coach Kim surprisingly posted a lengthy status indicating that he was ready to reveal the internal matters of the team if permitted by DRX’s CEO: “Hello, I am Coach Kim Jeong-soo. Many have been curious about my removal from the DRX roster. Due to the numerous rumors and speculations, I am concerned that it may affect not only myself but also DRX and CEO Choi Sang-in. However, according to my contract, I cannot disclose anything without CEO Choi’s consent. So if CEO Choi Sang-in agrees, I will reveal what has happened. Please bring me back to the roster as soon as possible so I can continue with the players performing at their best.”
Thus, through Coach Kim’s hints, it is clear that the internal affairs of DRX are extremely chaotic, despite their improving performance. However, when Coach Kim is allowed to disclose everything, the storm may truly begin.
For those who may not know, in addition to winning the 2018 World Championship with IG, Coach Kim is also known for being an extremely hot-tempered coach who does not hesitate to “put pressure” on any player. He is famous for having directly scolded Faker when the “Demon King” was underperforming. Moreover, Ning – a former student of Coach Kim – also mentioned that he had seen him scold Nuguri during his time with DWG KIA. However, Coach Kim also once posted on his personal Instagram criticizing anti-fans who used Clozer to attack Faker back in Summer 2020.
