Nine years after leaving the LCK to become one of the top midlaners in the LPL, Lee “
Scout” Ye-chan is set to return to the LCK with
Nongshim Redforce. He returns to the LCK after a disappointing year in the LPL, where he and JD Gaming failed to qualify for Worlds or challenge the league’s top teams despite major signings such as Kim “
Peyz” Su-hwan — who is
also returning to the LCK with T1 in 2026 — and Peng “
Xun” Li-Xun.
He signed a one year contract and will share the midlane position with Syun "Calix" Hyun-bin who, despite several offers received, decided to stay with the organization. NS will thus be a six-man roster next season.
Four years ago, he had attempted a comeback to Korea’s league but fell short. This time, he aims not to repeat past mistakes and is preparing for a new chapter in the 2026 LCK season.
The return of a World Champion
Scout joined SK Telecom (now T1) in late 2015, notably sharing the midlane position with Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok and Lee "Easyhoon" Ji-hoon during the 2015 KeSPA Cup, utlimately moving to EDward Gaming in the LPL a few months later in 2016. He will eventually become the face of the team and play with them for seven years. But since the very beginning, he quickly established himself as one of the league’s premier midlaners, lifting multiple LPL trophies and being named MVP of the 2017 LPL Summer Finals.
In June 2021, he acquired LPL local residency status, becoming the second player to do so after Kim “
Doinb” Tae-sang. That same year, he won the 2021 LPL Summer Split and went on to claim the Summoner’s Cup at Worlds 2021, becoming the second chinese organization to lift the most prestigious tournament of the year. He later played for LNG Esports in the 2023–2024 seasons and joined
JD Gaming for the 2025 season in a year that seemed like one of the worst of his career.
Having explored a possible LCK return since the 2021 offseason, Scout moved swiftly during the 2025 stove league and finalized his comeback for the 2026 season. After in-depth discussions with two LCK teams, he ultimately decided to leave the LPL and return home.
After adding top-tier players such as Son "Lehends" Si-woo and Hwang "Kingen" Seong-hoon in 2025, Nongshim is now aiming higher, transforming its 2026 roster from a playoff contender into a team with Worlds ambitions.
For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub and Offseason Live Tracker. Header Photo Credit: LPL Weibo Account
