Deft and Rascal appointed to South Korea's Asian Games staff

Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu and Kim "Rascal" Kwang-hee are joining South Korea's League of Legends national team as performance analysts for the 2026 Asian Games — and they are doing so right before their discharge, with nothing to gain in return.

Both are currently serving in the military, and the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) confirmed it secured permission from their units. Their participation rests on Article 11 of the enforcement decree of the Military Service Act, which lets commanders grant official leave for national events such as the Olympics. That leave is separate from personal vacation days and carries no time limit. The pair completed their clearance through the Military Manpower Administration.

Crucially, the two will gain no military exemption even if South Korea takes gold. Exemptions tied to an Asian Games gold medal apply only to players who compete directly, not to staff. With Deft due to discharge in November and Rascal in December, both are lending their experience in their final stretch of service for no personal benefit.

The two will work under head coach Kang "Hirai" Dong-hoon, with whom they share a long history at DRX and KT Rolster. According to XportsNews, they are not alone in the analysis unit: a current coach from a top LCK team is also joining, meaning the performance staff will be made up of several people.

Deft is a former elite botlaner who played for KT Rolster, DRX and Hanwha Life Esports, and won Worlds with DRX in 2022. Rascal is a toplaner known for steady macro play and strong teamfight setups, with spells at DRX and KT Rolster behind him.

In an interview shared on KeSPA's channels, Deft reflected on a chance he never got as a player. "I wasn't able to take part in the Asian Games during my playing days," he said. "The association helped me join in this role while I'm serving, and I think there are things I can personally do to help. I'll do my best to help South Korea win gold." Rascal struck a lighter note, pointing to his cooking specialty in the army — he plans to help out with snacks for the team whenever he can.

The roster has taken shape in stages. KeSPA appointed Kang as head coach in February, then in May named six player candidates: Zeus, Canyon, Zeka, Faker, Gumayusi and Keria. Among them, Zeus, Faker and Keria return four years after winning gold at Hangzhou 2022.

South Korea enters as defending champion, having gone undefeated for gold at Hangzhou. The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games open in September, with the League of Legends competition running in October.