Junkka

Jun Kyu "Junkka" Park (also known by many foreign fans as "John the Translator") is a Gretech employee, best known for his role as official Korean translator for the English GomTV stream.

Biography/History

Jun Kyu Park was born on the 22nd of August in 1983. He studied Broadcasting & Communication at SKKU and was part of the class of 2002. Starting with a job for a public relations company, Junkka realised that it did not meet his career aspirations.

Shortly after, he quit the job and started playing World of Warcraft. This lead to a guild member who suggested that Junkka apply for a job at Gretech (GomTV). After two interviews, he was hired and started working at GOMTV in August 2010.

In StarCraft II

Junkka had never played StarCraft II before being hired at GomTV - making the initial employment period more difficult for Junkka than many other employees - yet nevertheless, Junkka learned the units, structures and strategies required for his role.

Junkka plays on a casual level, though he has attempted to qualify for Code A and also achieved Platinum League on the Korean server in 2012. He has said that working at GomTV and being constantly exposed to high-level play has helped him improve his skills:

"I can actually tell the builds when I go scouting, I see like 2 Refinery, probably Banshee, no Refinery is like a 2rax rush."

Role at GomTV

Junkka currently has multiple roles at GomTV apart from being the interview translator. Unknown to many is that Junkka was originally hired by GomTV to assist foreign players who come to Korea to play in the GSL. By helping to acclimate players with the locations and attractions, Junkka provides a vital part of the foreigner experience at the GSL. Junkka also assists with the stage production of GSL matches, helping out with various maintenance tasks during tournaments.

Being the official GSL translator for the English stream, Junkka assists Artosis and other casters with interviewing Korean players. He originally had to "kneel down/crouch on the stage" but was "upgraded" with a red kneepad to kneel on for some minor comfort. Junkka has even assisted with a triple-translation when the Taiwanese player SeN competed in the GSL; translating questions from Artosis to Korean for a secondary translator, who then translated into Chinese for SeN, then back to Korean, and back to English respectively.

On January 2nd, 2014, he announced on Twitter that he had been transferred into GOMeXP's content business department. As he says, "Basically, I deal sales, advertisement, partnership and distribution of media contents." He recently returned to the GOMeXP airwaves as a co-host of the YouTube series Oh! Yangdeok, which features him taking GOMeXP's new German intern Philip and consequently viewers as well around Seoul.

The First Speech

During the finals presentation of GSL Season 2, the usually quiet and reserved Junkka shot to major stardom (especially with foreign fans) by presenting a startlingly deep speech regarding the esteem of pro gamers and amateur gamers alike, while promoting understanding and confidence in being a gamer:

"I'm going to be talking about my own things now, as there isn't anything important to translate.

First of all, I want to say that I have great respect for NesTea, not just because he won the tournament, but because this guy had the courage to do what he wanted to do, and prove he was right. I'm saying this because too many people, even in Korea, consider playing games a waste of time. I myself was unemployed for two years - about a half, a year and a half - before I joined GOM. All I did was play games at home, and my friends would say that I'm wasting my life. Well, who's laughing now? I ask them, "can you honestly say, do you like your job?" And I ask them, "do you have a fan who draws a fan art just for you?" That shuts them up.

So every time you feel ashamed of being a nerd because your friends, teachers, neighbors, or even parents think gaming's a waste of time, you remember: there's no such thing as wasting life as long as you have the courage to do what you like and be passionate about it. You remember: if NesTea listened to all of those criticisms, he wouldn't be standing there with a trophy. And you remember that even if you feel nobody around you supports you, I, Jay, Artosis, Tasteless, and everyone at GOM will support you. Why? Because we believe in e-sports."

Video of the First Speech

The Second Speech

During the award ceremony for GSL October at BlizzCON Junkka had the opportunity to again make a speech:

"Well many of my friends or parents would say: 'It's just a game John, quit it.' But being here today, people from all over the world being together and sharing this moment is something that politics or money can't do, and it's a miracle. And it is so very easy for us, people like us, who is doing the productions to forget, that we just provide the tools, and it's actually the fans that make the e-sports. Thank you for reminding me of that, and if anyone ever doubts your passions towards e-sports, tell them you were here at 2011 Blizzcon and you watched the GSL finals. Thank you very much, I love you all."

Video of the Second Speech

Trivia

• Has lived in Norway and Slovenia
• Is definitely not a fan of the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise.
• Is the self-proclaimed eternal champion of the Tastosis Imaginary World Yugioh Championship (TIWYC).
• Codenamed 'TT1' or 'Troll Translator the 1st'.
• Advanced to the Platinum League on the Korean server in 2012.
• Played in the GOMTV booth in handicap matches against HerO, Squirtle, NesTea and Mvp as part of GSL Off the Record. Mvp was the only one to win.

Links

• Interview on polarfluke.co.za by phANT1m.
• Interview on vTGaming with Seltzer.
• Junkka's twitter page.
• The Teamliquid fanclub page.
• Johnfacts.com, a more accurate and comprehensive competitor to Johnfacts.org.