During a
stream in early February, former legendary LCK toplaner Song “
Smeb” Kyung-ho spoke about the situation of his former teammate and 2022 world champion Kim “
Deft” Hyuk-kyu, who is currently
completing his military service, which he began in mid-May 2025. According to him: “
Deft still has plans of returning to the LCK. He is currently renting a practice room to keep his form in shape while finishing his military service.”
This news is huge both in Korea and across the rest of the world. A potential return of the legendary Deft to professional play would come as a genuine surprise, as no Korean professional player has ever returned to the scene after completing military service. Deft is expected to be discharged in the second half of November 2026, just a few days after the Worlds final, which is scheduled to take place in the United States.
The Chance of Military Exemption
Some players have been fortunate enough to receive a military exemption, but they can be counted on two hands. This includes the six players who won gold at the 2023 Asian Games: Choi “Zeus” Woo-je, Seo “Kanavi” Jin-hyeok, Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk, and Ryu “Keria” Min-seok.
In addition to these six, according to some sources, toplaner Kang “TheShy” Seung-lok received an exemption due to an arm surgery but still has to complete social service. Another case is Gwak “Bdd” Bo-seong, who benefits from an exemption because he dropped out of high school and was born before 2004, thus following the 1998–2003 conscription guidelines.
The Opportunity of the Asian Games
The
2026 edition of the Asian Games, which will be held in Japan in September, therefore carries even more significance for Korean players. Several contenders hope to be selected by the recently appointed coach Kang “
Hirai” Dong-hoon. Kim “
Kiin” Gi-in, and Choi “
Doran” Hyeon-joon are strong candidates for toplane, while Mun “
Oner” Hyeon-jun
has expressed interest in participating. Kim “
Canyon” Geon-bu and Lee “
Tarzan” Seung-yong also remain strong contenders.
Across nearly all roles, there are multiple players whom LCK fans would love to continue seeing on Summoner’s Rift for as long as possible. This is also true for AD Carry, where the spot could come down to Park “Viper” Do-hyeon and Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong. Of course, they would first need to win the Asian Games against strong nations such as China, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
