Preface: The S15 season matches have all ended, and most players have certainly been paying attention to the recent off-season. The LCK's overall spotlight during this period has been fairly strong. After Gen lost two key players, their performance in the entertainment matches was quite disappointing, making them the first team eliminated. However, their popularity has not diminished, since Chovy and Ruler remain the main focus. Recently, Korean fans unexpectedly shared Chovy and Ruler's feelings about military service, surprising many fans. Unexpectedly, both openly said, "Don't come, the world outside is too beautiful," showing no resentment. It seems they have already found joy in their military duties.

Chovy bluntly said: Don't join the military service

Most players are probably quite familiar with Gen, a top-tier team in the LCK region. Over the past few years, their overall results have been outstanding. This season, they repeatedly broke LCK records. Although they were eliminated by KT in the World Championship and didn't make it to the final, many fans still see their results as very stable. If they had faced T1 in the finals, their chances of winning would have been higher. After entering the off-season, Gen's two core carry players underwent a one-month military training.

Previously, Chovy and Ruler won the Asian Games championship, which exempted them from two years of military service but still required one month of military training. For many players, this was already a relief because two years is a very long time, and many behind-the-scenes issues have made many South Koreans fearful of this duty. When Keria and Zeus served, many rumors surfaced, such as Keria being asked by seniors to pay at convenience stores, and Zeus being harassed by many questioning why he left T1. These are just a fraction of what was revealed.

Recently, overseas fans revealed reflections shared by Chovy and Ruler in a fan group. The one-month military training brought significant changes to their lives. Chovy simply said, "Don't come." Ruler’s message was even more profound: "The world is truly... so beautiful, I won't hold any grudges and will work even harder." It’s clear that Koreans really fear military service. After training, there's also 500 hours of community service. It’s likely they received some friendly treatment during that month; otherwise, they wouldn’t feel this way. No wonder many LCK players choose to return to pro play after service, probably finding professional gaming preferable in comparison.

The stronger teams in the next LCK season remain familiar names: Gen, HLE, T1, and DK. Although KT was the runner-up in this World Championship, many netizens think their success was largely due to Gen’s help, as they defeated Gen twice in BO5 matches. If Gen had performed normally, KT might not have even qualified for Worlds. Judging by the current overall strength, the LPL region might face an end to its dominance again.

Farewell thoughts

It’s surprising that just one month has given two top professional players such deep insights. It seems South Korea’s military service is no joke. Honestly, it would be interesting to see Faker experience this atmosphere. As Korea’s top esports player and even the face of sports posters, if he went through this military training, would he gain similar insights? Probably he would be heavily protected from top to bottom.

What do you all think about this matter?