Just days before their LCK Round 1-2 debut against Nongshim RedForce, OKSavingsBank BRION announced the arrival of their new jungler, Kim "Croco" Dong-beom. He replaces Ham "HamBak" Yoo-jin, who returns to the academy roster just a split after his promotion from KT Challengers—a harsh decision that reflects the unforgiving nature of Korea’s top level. OK BRION had a rough run in the LCK Cup, securing just one group-stage victory—a surprising 2-0 over Gen.G—but failing to maintain momentum against other teams before being eliminated by NS in the Play-In.

As the organization announced, this is a homecoming for the 25-year-old jungler. Croco previously played for the team in 2019 and 2020 in Challenger Korea, where he was considered a strong prospect, consistently finishing on the podium. His first LCK experience came with Liiv SANDBOX in Spring 2021—a challenging period for the team, but one that ended on a high note in 2022 with a third-place finish in Summer and in the Regional Finals, though it wasn’t enough to qualify for Worlds. DRX picked him up soon after their championship run, and more recently, in 2024, he moved to the LPL with Anyone’s Legend. Despite a tough Spring, finishing 11th, he rebounded in Summer with a solid 5th-6th place finish in playoffs before taking a break during Winter 2025 and returning to OK Brion.

A needed change?

For OK Brion, a roster change was necessary after a rough Winter Split, but the decision to replace HamBak is rather questionable. The 22-year-old jungler had a flawless 2024 season in LCK CL—finishing first in both the regular season and playoffs during Spring and Summer, then dominating the Asia Star Challengers Invitational 2024. His promotion to the LCK was well-earned, though it didn’t happen with KT but rather with BRION. He even helped them secure the KeSPA Cup in December 2024—a minor tournament but one that could have boosted the team’s morale. However, that momentum didn’t translate into results, as seen in their LCK Cup performance.

This decision raises questions about the time given to young talents to develop at the highest level. A player as talented and promising as HamBak, who was destined for a great future, shouldn’t necessarily be benched or demoted after a single setback. His aggressive playstyle, while effective in LCK CL, may still need some fine-tuning before thriving at the LCK level. However, he shouldn’t have to remain in LCK CL for long before getting another shot at Korea’s top-tier competition. It’s essential for young players to be given the time and support they need to grow and evolve, rather than being discarded after facing some challenges.