"That Person Again" Dodgers' Kim Hyesung Hesitates During Return Interview

Protest Over Father's Debt at Arrival Hall
Second Korean in History to Win the MLB World Series

Kim Hyesung, who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball (MLB), has returned to Korea. In his rookie year, Kim won the World Series (WS) alongside Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. However, his arrival in Korea was marked by an unexpected commotion. A man who has been publicly claiming that he lent money to Kim's father and exposing the debt appeared at the airport holding a banner.

Kim Hyesung of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won the Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series, is answering questions from the press as he returns to Korea through Incheon International Airport on the 6th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On the 6th, Yonhap News Agency reported that Kim Hyesung arrived at Incheon International Airport. Dozens of fans gathered at the arrival hall. Smiling in front of the reporters, he said, "It was a long year. I had many fun and valuable experiences." However, during the interview, Kim's expression suddenly became serious, and he requested that staff intervene, saying, "If you could stop that person, I will do my best." He then pointed in a specific direction, asking, "Do you see over there?"

Where he pointed, a man was standing, holding a banner with phrases such as "One guy went to the Los Angeles Dodgers while his father was discharged from bankruptcy." When security staff intervened, the man moved away, and Kim resumed the interview. In the interview, Kim said, "Honestly, I would rate this year as 30 out of 100," adding, "I'm not satisfied. I will prepare better for next season." Regarding the possibility of participating in next year's World Baseball Classic (WBC), he said, "I'm always preparing. If I'm selected for the national team, I want to do my best."

The man holding the banner is known among baseball fans as "Gocheok Kim Teacher," Mr. Kim, who has protested at stadiums with banners over Kim Hyesung's father's debt issues. He reportedly holds a claim of about 100 million won against Kim's father. In May this year, Mr. Kim was fined 3 million won for defamation after displaying banners 13 times from 2022 to 2024.

Meanwhile, after the 2024 season, Kim Hyesung attempted to move to the big leagues through the posting system and signed a contract with the Dodgers on January 3 for up to five years (3+2 years) and a maximum of 22 million dollars (about 3.07 billion won). After struggling in exhibition games before the regular season, he started the season in Triple-A of the minor leagues but was promoted to the big leagues in early May. In the first half of the season, Kim played in 48 games, recording a batting average of .339 (38 hits in 112 at-bats), 2 home runs, 13 RBIs, 11 stolen bases, 17 runs scored, and an OPS of 0.842, surviving fierce competition. Later, after being diagnosed with left shoulder bursitis and placed on the injured list on July 30, Kim struggled to regain his form after recovering from the injury.

Returning to the big leagues on September 2, Kim played in 13 games in September but struggled with a batting average of .130 (3 hits in 23 at-bats), and as a result, he rarely had opportunities to play toward the end of the season. In the 2024 regular season, Kim appeared in 71 games, posting a batting average of .280 (45 hits in 161 at-bats), 3 home runs, 17 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, 19 runs scored, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.699. As the Dodgers advanced to the postseason, Kim was able to experience the postseason stage in his MLB debut season, joining the roster for the National League Wild Card Series, Division Series, American League Championship Series, and the World Series.

Kim Hyesung became the fifth Korean big leaguer to be included on a World Series roster, following Kim Byunghyun of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, Park Chanho of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2009, Ryu Hyunjin of the Dodgers (now with the Hanwha Eagles) in 2018, and Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020. Among them, Kim Hyesung is only the second Korean major leaguer to win a World Series, after Kim Byunghyun (2001 and 2004).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.