Dplus KIA secured a 2-0 sweep against Nongshim RedForce in the final match of the 2026 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) Round 2, held at LoL PARK in Jongno on the 31st. 'ShowMaker' Heo Su led the charge with Viktor in the first set, while 'Smash' Shin Geum-jae put on a carry performance with Lucian in the second.

The following is the full interview with Player of the Match (POM) 'Smash' Shin Geum-jae.

Q. You closed out the final match of Round 2 with a win. How do you feel.

'Smash' = It was our last match before heading into the playoffs, and I'm really happy we won so cleanly.

Q. You lost 0-2 to Nongshim in Round 1. How did you prepare for today's match.

'Smash' = Even when we were winning recently, our performance didn't feel entirely polished. We spent a lot of time discussing various things during practice to prepare, so I'm glad it paid off with a good result.

Q. In Game 1, you played Jhin-Karma against Ezreal-Bard. How did you plan to handle such a mobile composition?

'Smash' = The opponent picked Ryze and Bard, which is a composition strong in mobility. I expected them to look for roaming plays or side-lane advantages. We practice dealing with those situations often, so it wasn't too difficult to avoid their plays; we just stuck to our game plan and it worked out well.

Q. Your record on Jhin, your most-played champion, is an impressive 5-1. You also received POM on Jhin last time. How confident are you on the champion?

'Smash' = Honestly, I don't think I'm exceptionally good at Jhin. Some days my skills land, some days they don't, and today was just an average day. I'm grateful for the POM, though.

Q. You achieved a pentakill in the final moments of Game 1. Did you see it coming?

'Smash' = I never expected to get a pentakill. 'ShowMaker' Su was so fed that the opponents blew all their skills on him, which really set the stage for me. After the game, I told him, "Su, thanks for dying," and he agreed that he was the one who set up the pentakill for me.

Q. Did it feel like your teammates were trying to let you have the last kill during the pentakill sequence?

'Smash' = The last champion was left with just one hit of health, and I thought Jeon 'Siwoo' Si-woo might take it, but he let me have it. I'm grateful. I think I looked pretty desperate for it (laughs).

Q. It's been a while since your last pentakill. How does it feel?

'Smash' = It's been so long that I don't even remember when my last one was. I'm really happy to achieve it in the final match of the regular season, and I'm thankful to my teammates for creating the opportunity.

Q. In Game 2, you gave up Cassiopeia to the opponent and picked Lucian-Milio. Given your team's composition, did you feel the pressure to carry the damage output?

'Smash' = We did discuss that during the pick-ban phase. However, since the opponent didn't have any hard tanks, I didn't think we would lack damage. Also, 'ShowMaker' is excellent at dealing with various OP champions, so we were comfortable giving up Cassiopeia. I think the game went well because I was able to secure a good pick.

Q. Towards the end of Game 2, did you feel the pressure of 'I have to stay alive to win'?

'Smash' = I didn't feel that way initially, but then my teammates started going down one by one. That's when I thought, 'I just need to stay alive to win.' There wasn't any immediate threat to my life in-game, so I didn't feel too much pressure.

Q. The bot lane meta is crucial right now. How strong do you think the Lucian-Milio combination is?

'Smash' = To beat Lucian-Milio in the laning phase, you need champions that are extremely strong, and even then, you need to execute perfectly. If you can pilot them well, I think Lucian-Milio is a very strong combination in the current meta.

Q. Dplus KIA was in the Rise Group last year, which was disappointing, but this season you've come back stronger and joined the Legend Group. Looking back at Rounds 1 and 2, what are you most satisfied with?

'Smash' = It was heartbreaking to be stuck in the Rise Group last year. I think the team has clearly grown this year. I'm very happy we made it to the Legend Group, but our goals are higher, so we need to keep improving. I'm most satisfied with the fact that we beat strong teams throughout Rounds 1 and 2 and that the entire team has grown significantly.

Q. You're now facing Hanwha Life Esports in the first round of the 'Road to MSI.' Any words on your mindset heading into this gauntlet.

'Smash' = We have an important series ahead of us, and since we're coming up from the bottom, I want to win every match. I know our fans would be thrilled if we made it to MSI, so I'll make sure to prepare well for the remaining games.