Hi everyone.

Lately Zerg players like Jaedong and Effort are all over the place. Savior showed up at a recent ProLeague match as well. Who have we not heard from much? July!

I read some people at Korean forums saying he left the team residence for some time for a personal reason. Anyhow, here is the latest interview with July, translated from a DailyESports article.

I’m glad to be chosen for an interview, among all these good younger players. Zerg players are usually older than other races! (laugh) I’m just glad to be not forgotten. I do feel like Boxer or [NC]Yellow nowadays.

[During Savior's prime, the macro-management Zerg was the style, but lately the aggressive style Zerg like Jaedong has come back. July is known for such an aggressive style. But he thinks differently.]

Nobody called me aggressive during my prime. But one day I just have become an aggressive Zerg. I just like to fight, and to prepare for a fight I was rich in my resource. How players are viewed change over time.

The style trend comes in cycle. One day the macro style will come back. Jaedong is known as an aggressive player but that can change too.

For me, the division of “macro style” and “aggressive style” is meaningless. It’s not that one is better than the other. It’s just that whoever wins is better.

It’s best to be a flexible player that can adopt to the trend. If you have a fixed style it’s hard to catch up on changes.

[Progamers talk about Zerg's instability. July wasn't exception.]

No race is more attractive than Zerg. If you play good, Zerg stands out the most. Zerg units are mostly speedy and can move around well, so games are fun.

For a player, Zerg is fun and attractive, but maybe it gives a sense of instability to the audience.

Progamers used to joke that if there is a super-computer that can perform the perfect control, Zerg will be the best race. But it’s hard to see a super-human, right? (laugh)

Zerg will develop while improving on the instability part.

[It's hard to make a comeback as Zerg. July made one through the EVER OSL 2008, but he himself said that it wasn't a perfect comeback.]

It’s not about Zerg. It’s about players. Even recently I have realized that nothing is impossible if you practice a lot. E-Sports is a place where people who practice a lot succeed, not the people with inborn gift.

Those who can’t make comeback have a problem with mindset. They couldn’t give up their arrogance. And there is a circumstantial factor that makes practice difficult too.

I was an arrogant one, too, and I wandered a lot. But I changed with the help of people, and then I could win.

[Recently people wondered about his whereabout when he didn't show up to matches for a month. He said it was a person reason and said he's glad to be able to focus on practice again. He had a lot to say about the old progamers.]

You can’t help having a lot of thoughts. When I was younger I thought everything will work out if I just play game. It was hard to focus on game with all the thoughts about the army duty, how long will I play game, and so forth.

Even worse I had to stay home for a month for a person reason. Many fans made speculations, and none was right.

The problem with old progamers is not about the ability to play. As Savior said, it’s about having to worry about things beside game. Jaedong will have same worries as the time goes by.

It’s an important time for my team, so I have to control my mind. With the help from my coach I can focus on game again. I will do my best to show good games to fans.

[The recent surge of STX is due to its Zerg players. Some say Hero is following the footstep of July. What's your thought on the STX Zerg line?]

I think STX has the best Zerg line. Calm, Hero, Modesty, and me. We have a specialist for each race.

I didn’t teach much. I was taught if anything. I told about my know-how, and I learned about the trend and strategies that I didn’t think before. There was a synergy.

Some say Hero is my protégé, and he does have my style. I did advise him but not to the point of him being my protégé. Time has gone so fast…people saying I have a protégé.

That makes me feel old. It’s a good feeling yet sad somewhat.

Caption: “I wanna show good games to people who still remember me and find joy watching my games. To give them the excitement of when I hold up the championship cup. I can do it!”

[July's recent problem is with ZvZ. His thought on this.]

I haven’t followed up with the trend. And my control isn’t what it used to be.

I used to ignore advices given by people. But I have realized I lack on ZvZ, so I practice a lot and listen to people.

Maybe it’s because I’m an aggressive Zerg, so even in everyday life I’m somewhat aggressive. To be more accurate I’m hyper. Being angry, being happy, I just express my emotion in a big way.

Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s bad.

[He didn't make it to the latest OSL round of 16. He said that it was such a difficult time that he played without much practice, saying even with a practice of 10 games he would've made it. He said, Maybe I'm not lucky with StarGirls. I didn't make it to the OSL round of 16 twice, once Daum OSL where StarGirls were first introduces, and this time when StarGirls were changed." What's July's most memorable win moment?]

Every win. It was ecstatic to win against Oov at iTV a long time ago. The game just went as I wanted it.

Gillette OSL. EVER 2008 OSL. Those wins were happy. For Gillette OSL, I was bound to win. I played for 17-18 hours a day. I had to give up game if I didn’t win! (laugh)

To think back, the EVER 2008 win was the least emotional. I thought I just won like randomly.

[And he talked about the saddest moments.]

The IOPS OSL final. I thought NaDa would definitely have more fans, but when I looked outside, my fans were more. I really wanted to win so I gave my best, but I lost 0:3. The sadness and frustration couldn’t be described in word. Best would’ve felt the same when he lost to me.

Another was when my team lost to SKT T1 at a ProLeague final. My team was thought to be weak, but we gave our life to that final. I was so sad for not winning that I got drunk and passed out. Most drink I’ve ever had in my life.

That final can still make me cry. But the next season my emotional pain was relieved when we won the final. If I have a sad moment during a season, I do better in the next season. I failed too easily on this OSL, so I’m confident I’ll do better in the next OSL.

[What do fans mean for July?]

They were big support when I have hard time. Sea once said, “It’s ecstatic to know that people watch my games.” It’s the feeling of being a celebrity.

I’m also happy to know that fans watch my games. If a lot of people come, I really wanna win. I would’ve have made it here without fans.

I think I have more of the general StarCraft fans liking me than the specific July fans. At finals, it’s exciting to hear even a lot of guys shouting in support. I bet nobody has that loud of fans! (laugh)

Guys or girls, every fan is important to me. With their support I can continue.

[His take on rumors, such as him changing team because he didn't get along with players at MBC and at SKT, his recent absence due to his feud with teammates, etc.]

If the players at MBC and at SKT hear this rumor, they would laugh. I got along with everyone.

There was a rumor that I didn’t get along with GoRush. When we heard about that, we laughed out ass off. We did have debate talking about strategies and games, but that’s for every progamer. There could be fight if both parties are persistent. And we were both very persistent.

But beside game we got along so well. We talked about life and stuffs, and before I moved out of SKT, GoRush was my person counselor. He’s still an important person to me. I think the rumor came about because we debated so much about strategies. But without that it’s hard to develop as a team and as progamers. Debate helps with discovering better strategies.

I hope I don’t hear these groundless rumors again! (laugh)

[In response to the big buzz about [NC]Yellow’s recent win against Bisu, July said that the buzz is regrettable. Why?]

The whole buzz pissed me off. Since when it was a miracle for a progamer to score one win? [NC]Yellow always practices hard and he was still the best progamer for us, so it was sad to see that one win was considered the ultimate miracle or something.

For progamers who have been around a while, [NC]Yellow is a legend. But people on the Internet do nothing but make fun of him. I don’t know what they get bringing down a legend.

I’m glad that he won, but on the other hand it’s heartbreaking to see where he’s at now and people on the Internet making fun of him. I wish people stop doing that to a legend.

I wish people stop bringing down everything and all he gave to be where he was. Please!

[Questions from fans. Diet?]

It’s hard! I know I look good if I lose some weight (laugh). I have confidence on my face. But knowing and doing are two different things. Diet is hard with just knowing you have to do it.

[You're sometimes #1 at surveys about bad things, like the most dirty progamer. Why?]

Why!!! I play around a lot so maybe that’s why.

I do fart a lot. But now when someone farts even if it wasn’t me people point at me! The whole being dirty thing. I didn’t wash once, but since I mess around with people a lot, the other progamers go “go away, you didn’t wash today!” And that becomes a fact.

It’s the image due to me messing around with people a lot. I take it as a good sign among fans.

[When you were in Hero, there was a TV footage of you eating by yourself? Do you eat alone at STX too?]

I have to clarify this! I just happened to start eating first, and couple minutes later others came and ate. But the footage only got the first part! So it looked like I was eating along! No!

At MBC, at SKT, at STX, I always eat with others. That was just a bad editing! I’m finally revealing the truth.

[Your current relationships with other progamers born in the same year (1986) as you did, like the retired GoodFriend, Midas, and Casy?]

I don’t have chance and not many are active progamers, so I don’t get to see them much. Casy went to the army, and I was closest with GoodFriend but he retired first. It’s sad.

It was fun back then. We had good times in the waiting room. We hanged out outside of games. Not so much nowadays.

It’s just like that in the world of progamers. But I miss the days when we were like a family.

July to Luxury:
You slowed down after winning the MSL. Please come back! You might not believe this but I’m not an extrovert so I didn’t get to know you better at the All-Star. But let’s be friends! Let’s meet up with Yellow[Arnc] at Battle.net sometimes.

July to Savior:
Nowadays we see Savior fans vs July fans. It’s good to be good at team leagues but I hope you be good at individual leagues. That’s where the name of Savior is symbolic. I hope you make a great comeback.

July to Jaedong:
As a Zerg user, it’s good to see you doing well. But it’s sad to see you playing too many games! It reminds me of my days at the team POS. I hope you keep a good pace. I sucked at it and got into a slump, so I hope that doesn’t come to you. Don’t exhaust yourself with game and be a progamer who’s at the top longer than I was.

July to Yellow[Arnc]:
You’re good at ZvZ and Luxury is good at ZvT, so you guys can help each other. I will teach ZvP, and teach me ZvZ! We should be friends soon!