
Presidential candidate stirs controversy for using Faker's signature pose, catchphrase
Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok's team T1 said Tuesday that the League of Legends player does not have any connection to a political party, stance or campaign, thought to be in relation to conservative presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo posting a photo of himself with a pose and catchphrase associated with the gamer.
"We've recently found that Faker's image and phrase representing him have been used on content related to politics. ... It is our wish that the image or the said phrase will not be interpreted politically or cause any misunderstanding," T1 said in a post on its official X account. The team also vowed to take measures to ensure that the photo is taken down, although it did not specify which political content it was referring to.
Kim, who recently won the People Power Party presidential primary, posted on Facebook a picture of himself doing the "Shh" pose that is widely associated with Faker. Kim also posted the comment, "I'll take care of it. It's gonna be over" — a well-known order Faker gave his teammates during a crucial moment in a match — while using the hashtag "Faker."
Kim has since removed the image from his account.
Faker is widely considered one of the greatest esports gamers of all time and was announced to be the inaugural inductee for LoL Esports Hall of Legends by the game's developer, Riot Games, in May 2024.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Korea Herald
18 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Pro-Yoon lawmaker quizzed in special counsel probe
Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, a lawmaker of the conservative People Power Party, was quizzed Sunday by investigators looking into influence-peddling allegations against Kim Keon Hee, former President Yoon Suk Yeol's wife. The five-time lawmaker, who was considered one of Yoon Suk Yeol's leading supporters, appeared for questioning at the office of the special counsel leading the investigation. Asked about his stance on claims he had helped Yoon and Kim interfere in the party's nomination process for a National Assembly by-election, he said he would "faithfully cooperate with" the investigation. His questioning follows a search and seizure operation to raid his home and his office at the National Assembly on July 8. The 62-year-old lawmaker, who led the People Power Party's candidate nomination for a June 2022 parliamentary by-election, was allegedly involved in arranging for the People Power Party to choose Kim Young-sun as candidate for a legislative seat representing a constituency in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. The constituency was considered a right-wing stronghold, and Kim was nominated by lawmaker Yoon to run for the by-election as the candidate for the People Power Party. Kim won the election and served in the National Assembly until May 2024. About a month before Yoon's botched martial law attempt, the Democratic Party of Korea revealed in late October a recording of a phone conversation between the former president and Myung Tae-kyun, who was a political consultant for the ex-president during his presidential campaign. In the phone call, Yoon, who won the presidential election in March 2022, told Myung that he had insisted to Rep. Yoon that Kim Young-sun be chosen to run for a parliamentary seat. Myung, who ran an election polling and forecasting company, said he would "never forget kindness." The phone call was recorded just before Yoon was inaugurated in May 2022, according to the Democratic Party. A separate probe by the prosecution in December indicated that Kim had wired some 80 million won ($58,000) in 11 installments in 2022 to Myung, in violation of the Political Funds Act. Both Kim Young-sun and Myung were held awaiting trial for about five months but were released in April. The criminal court cases against them are ongoing. While appearing for questioning Sunday, Yoon declined to answer a reporter's question over whether he had a discussion with the former president about candidate nominations.


Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
N. Korea's Kim vows not to forget Chinese war dead on armistice anniversary
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang on the anniversary of the signing of an armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War, pledging not to forget the contributions of fallen Chinese soldiers, state media reported Sunday. Kim laid a wreath before the tower the previous day, saying that North Korea "would never forget the militant feats and merits of the fallen fighters of the Chinese People's Volunteers," the Korean Central News Agency said. The armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, bringing the Korean War to a halt. Since 1996, North Korea has marked the date as Victory Day, claiming it won the Liberation War against US-led aggression. Erected in 1959 in Pyongyang, the Friendship Tower commemorates the contributions of Chinese soldiers who fought in the war and has since served as a symbol of North Korea-China friendship. Kim has frequently paid tribute at the tower on past armistice anniversaries, using the occasion to highlight North Korea's relations with China. This year's report, however, made no mention of bilateral ties, a possible sign that relations have yet to fully recover. On Saturday, Kim also visited the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum in Pyongyang, the KCNA said. During the visit to the museum, Kim placed a flower basket before a statue of North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, claiming victory in the war and praising it as the "victory of the outstanding military ideology, Juche-oriented war methods and superb strategy and tactics" of the founder. "Our state and its people would surely achieve the great cause of building a rich country with a strong army and become honorable victors in the anti-imperialist, anti-US showdown," the KCNA quoted Kim as saying. The North Korean leader also separately met with servicemen of a battery under the Korean People's Army's 4th Corps and held a photo session, describing the unit "an example in implementing the Party's training-first policy." (Yonhap)


Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Industry minister ends 2-day tariff talks with Lutnick without results
South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan has wrapped up his two-day tariff talks with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, without tangible results, sources said Saturday. Kim and Lutnick's second-day meeting, which took place at Lutnick's residence in New York, finished late Friday night (US time) without solid results, according to the sources familiar with the matter. The two had also met the previous day in Washington to discuss pending trade issues, including tariffs, non-tariff measures and industrial cooperation. In Friday's meeting, Kim is said to have presented a revised proposal to narrow their differences on contentious items, including the $100 billion investment plan by Korean companies in the US and what Washington calls "trade barriers" on beef and rice imports by Seoul. The Donald Trump administration has reportedly been pressuring Korea to lift its import ban on American beef from cattle aged 30 months or older and expand rice imports from the US. However, the advanced proposal appears to have fallen short of satisfying Lutnick, as the sources indicated South Korea needs further "internal discussions" based on the results of this week's negotiations. The presidential office is reportedly planning to hold another trade strategy meeting later in the day to discuss the next steps toward securing a tariff deal with the US, following a similar session held the previous day. South Korea faces added pressure in the negotiations as Japan, one of its major export competitors, recently concluded a trade deal with Washington that lowered reciprocal tariffs to 15 percent in exchange for further opening of its markets to American automobiles and agricultural products, along with a $550 billion investment pledge. The Trump administration has warned Korea will be subject to a 25 percent reciprocal tariff unless it reaches a deal before Aug. 1. Meanwhile, Kim also met with US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who doubles as chairman of the National Energy Council, this week to discuss strengthening cooperation in areas such as liquefied natural gas, energy security and critical minerals, according to his office. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo also held separate meetings with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a bid to make progress in trade negotiations. (Yonhap)