LOUD's Croc bursts into tears after Worlds elimination amid military service fears

After CBLoL representatives LOUD were eliminated from Worlds Play-Ins on October 3, jungler Park ‘Croc’ Jong-hoon revealed in a tweet that this may have been his last time playing with the roster.

October 3 was an emotional day for the CBLoL’s LOUD. After a heartfelt attempt, they were taken down 3-1 by the LJL’s Detonation FocusMe, and eliminated from their first-ever Worlds Play-Ins.

LOUD took it hard, with multiple players breaking down in tears after their Worlds run was brought to an untimely end. In particular, jungler Park ‘Croc’ Jong-Hoon appeared to take it the hardest, looking visibly upset even as the crowd in Mexico cheered LOUD off the stage.

In a tweet after LOUD’s final game, Croc thanked LOUD for being one of the best teams he’d ever worked with. He also explained that his tears were because he wasn’t sure whether he would be able to play with these teammates again — which could be a reference to his upcoming military service as a South Korean citizen.

“I was very sad about the loss, but now I am in tears at the thought that I may not be able to be with these teammates again,” he wrote on Twitter.

I will write with korean sorry guys
제 선수생활중에 이보다 더 좋은 팀과 팀원들 코칭스태프들을 만날수있을까 싶을정도로 저는 저희팀원들을 굉장히 사랑합니다. 패배에 대한 슬픔도 컸지만 지금 이 팀원들과 다시 같이 할 수 없을지도 모른다는 생각에 눈물이 쏟아지네요

— JongHoon Park (@crocjg) October 4, 2022

Military service in esports

Able-bodied male South Korean citizens are required to serve a minimum of one year and six months in the country’s military, with conscription length dependent on which specific branch of the military they choose to enter.

Men become eligible in the year of their eighteenth birthday. However, conscription can be delayed up until they turn 28. Generally, men will tend to serve their military time in their early twenties. Multiple Korean League stars have taken breaks in their careers to complete their military service, including LCS star Lee ‘Rush’ Yoon-Jae and LCK veteran Go ‘Score’ Dong-Bin.

Liu YiCun/Riot GamesLOUD are out of Worlds 2022 after losing to Detonation FocusMe

Croc is currently 24 years of age, meaning that he’ll need to fulfill his military duties within the next four years at a maximum. Although it’s unclear whether his tweet is specifically referencing having to complete his military service, he does reference the “breaking up” of the roster — which could be an indication that we’ll be seeing a very different LOUD lineup on our screens next year.

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