This fourth issue of the backstage of Esports is dedicated to Min-Sik “reis” Ko, manager of the team’s players within the German structure SK Gaming that counts in its ranks well known players such as Jang “MC” Mic Chul, the Korean Protoss from StarCraft II, Carlos “ocelote” Rodríguez Santiago, the Spanish mid laner on League of Legends, and two French players: John “hyrqBot” Velly (Jungler, LoL) and Bruce “Spank” Grannec (FIFA13).
Profile
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Name : Min-Sik "reis" Ko Country : South Korea City : Düsseldorf (Germany) Age : 30 (March 13th, 1983) Diploma : Bachelor degree in Business Administration and Management Profession : - Since late 2007: Player Manager of Warcraft III, League of Legends, StarCraft II, Quake III, PES2013, FIFA13 and SMITE teams within the professional eSports structure based in Germany, Schroet Kommando Gaming (SK Gaming), ran by Alexander “TheSlaSH” Müller-Rodic and founded in 1997. - Past: Former team manager of Ninjas in Pyjamas [NiP] and World Elite [WE]. Links : - Organization: sk-gaming.com - Facebook: facebook.com/reiskorn - Twitter: @minsikko |
Credits: Ina. |
Biography
Pyjama party
Min-SiK Ko, best known as "reis", comes from South Korea and lives in Germany for about twenty years. He makes a living from his eSports passion for almost eight years and since late 2007, he works for the German structure SK Gaming as a Player Manager.
Prior of being a manager, reis was a player and the first game he played on a competitive level was Diablo II in the early 2000’s, where he was one of the best European Necromancers. Next, he started playing WarCraft III with some friends in 2003, choosing the Human race. During the time abroad in the US studying Business English he joined the ranks of Ninjas in Pyjamas and managed the new founded Warcraft III team with SouthSea, Rainbow, FarSeer, Gostop and Kim by his side, NiP qualifies for the NGL ONE Season 1 offline finals.
SouthSea, Rainbow, FarSeer, Gostop, Kim & reis - May, 2006 (Credits: reis)
« SK, because I'm worth it! »
About six months later, reis receives an offer from the famous Chinese team World Elite that he can’t decline. He joins ReMinD, Lyn, SoJu and some more Korean players. The team World Elite will finish in the third place of the W3CL Season X before claiming the title at the NGL ONE Season 2 and the W3CL Season XI. All being well, World Elite will get the reward of best WarCraft III team in the world for 2007.
Late 2007, during the NGL Finals in Berlin, he is approached for the first time by Alexander “TheSlaSH” Müller-Rodic, Marketing Manager of Schroet Kommando Gaming [SK] at that time, but they can’t agree on a deal because TheSlaSH thinks the offer from reis is too high; it must be noted that back then, the rise of WarCraft III in China was only starting and there was no sign of such a success. Three weeks later, World Elite wins the W3CL finals and the day after, he is contacted again by TheSlaSH to make him sign with SK straight away! World Elite can’t conform with SK’s offer and let his most talented players go away. The announce resounds like a thunderclap on the global scene.
In 2008 and 2009, the SK Gaming WarCraft III roster, under the leadership of reis, will win the W3CL Season XII, collects lots of second places (NGL ONE Season 4 and 5, RoTK 2008 Wuhan, IEM Hannover 2009, W3CL Season XIV) and ends up third at the W3CL Season XIII in ChangSha.
ReiGn, SoJu, Miou, Lyn, ReMinD & reis - December, 2008 (Credit: SK Gaming)
A key element of SK organization and a real all-rounder
In his beginnings with SK Gaming, reis has the role of Player Manager for the WarCraft III team but this is quickly extended to all the gaming sections of SK Gaming. He goes with the players to offline events all around the world and makes sure that everything’s good for them in terms of comfort and equipment to give them the best game conditions possible. As a true globe-trotter, he spends most of his time visiting the world, a real pleasure for this epicurean who loves to travel.
Tara Babcock & reis - November, 2012 (Credit: @minsikko)
But be sure not to think that he takes his role of manager slightly: he’s an iron fist in a velvet glove. Over time, his experience made him a highly respected figure in eSports. Honest with his players, he does not promise what he can’t get and expect the same from them in return. His motto is: “be more and more professional” and that’s what he tries to inculcate to his players by teaching them to keep their commitments. Even with a player having fiery temperament like ocelote, he gets to nice and quiet discussions that helps him deal with his rage and make him improve every day.
reis behind ocelote & SK LoL team during IEM Katowice - January, 2013
(Credit: Facebook de Mink-Sik Ko)
But then again, that’s only the tip of the iceberg and in the backstage Mink-Sik Ko is, so to speak, the right-hand man of Alexander Müller. With his Bachelor degree in Business Administration and Management, he assists TheSlaSH with management and the search of sponsors and financial or sport partners. In July 2011, the agreement of partnership between the famous disbanded Korean team old Generations [oGs] and SK – the “oGs/SK deal” with MC and NaDa representing SK Gaming in events outside of South Korea - is to put to his credit and this is obviously not random if the emblematic Korean Protoss player MC aka the “Boss Toss” joined SK Gaming after oGs’ disband in May 2012. For this player as crazy as the Tasmanian Devil, he had to find the good solution to make him stay on top of the world in StarCraft II.
reis behind MC during IEM World Championship Season VII - March, 2013
(Credit: Facebook de Mink-Sik Ko)
Finally, when needed, Min-Sik becomes a translator for his protégées and fellow countrymen. Because the guy is trilingual speaks fluently Korean, German and English. It’s actually as translator that most of eSports fans discovered him for the first time. In France, we saw him officiate during Tales of the Lane, the Numericable M-House Cup and Iron Squid Chapter I and II. Event organizers like Blizzard, the ESL, DreamHack or TaKe (HomeStory Cup) also make use of his services. In other words, as soon as a Korean player wanders passed his frontiers, reis is not far!
MC, reis & MarineKing during HomeStory Cup IV- January, 2012 (video link)
Anyway, reis is respected by everyone in the global eSports scene, and he has a priceless experience that makes his opinion on eSports topics a must to listen as... a Dalai Lama's thought!
Min-Sik "reis" Ko (Credit: Ina)
Trivia
- His first nickname was « reiskorn », which means « grain of rice » in German, because he eats a lot of it. He had to short it to « reis » – « rice » – to insert his team tag.
- He is a big fan of food and he admits that he gained some weight since he got a hundred percent into eSports.
- He is also a lot into football, sometimes plays it during his free time and supports Barcelona.
- His musical tastes are mostly R’n’B and Soul as well as K-pop to a lesser extent. He counts DJ Frizzo amongst his best friends, particularly liking his black music mix.
- He speaks three languages fluently: Korean, German and English.
