Park Chan-ho → Yang Hyun-jong, Kia's aftermath after Choi Hyung-woo's departure, was spared mentioning…Tell the players not to get into an accident

Dec 01, 2025

Park Chan-ho → Yang Hyun-jong, Kia's aftermath after Choi Hyung-woo's departure, was spared mentioning…Tell the players not to get into an accident
2025 Real Glove Awards were held at Grand Walkerhill in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul on the 1st. Yang Hyun-jong, president of the Korea Professional Baseball Players Association, is saying hello. Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.12.01/



"Personal interviews are cautious now."

Yang Hyun-jong, chairman of the Korea Professional Baseball Players Association (hereinafter referred to as the Korea Professional Baseball Players Association), attended the '2025 Comtus Professional Baseball Real Glove Award' held at Grand Walker Hill Seoul in Gwangjang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul on the 1st. Yang Hyun-jong is coolly an independent currently, but he did his best to fulfill his duties as chairman as there is also a general meeting of the players' association.

However, Yang Hyun-jong declined to comment when asked about the FA negotiations with his original team, the KIA Tigers. Because the situation is not good.




KIA only announced the result of 'failure' after the start of the stove league this winter. The main shortstop and this year's biggest fish Park Chan-ho signed a four-year, 8 billion won contract with the Doosan Bears. Backup catcher Han Seung-taek signed a four-year, 1 billion won contract with KT Wiz, and even veteran Choi Hyung-woo, who was the undisputed No. 4 hitter, has signed an FA contract with the Samsung Lions and is waiting for final coordination.

KIA's only achievement this winter is to sign a three-year, 1.2 billion won contract with left-handed bullpen Lee Joon-young. Now only two pitchers, Yang Hyun-jong and Jo Sang-woo, remain in the market.

KIA fans, who believed in KIA's stance that `there is no overpayment' and watched Jang Hyun-sik (LG Twins) and Park Chan-ho's departure over the past two years, are also unable to hold back their anger over Choi Hyung-woo's departure. In any case, both Park Chan-ho and Choi Hyung-woo were key players of the team, and they were not very active in negotiations at a time when they could not find a player to completely replace 100% right away, so complaints could build.




Yang Hyun-jong was well aware of this atmosphere, so he refrained from commenting on the negotiations.

"I'm doing an interview as the president of the Korea Professional Sports Association, so I'm a little cautious about personal interviews. I think it would be better to talk about representing the Korea Professional Baseball Association or the KBO," he politely declined.

Yang Hyun-jong was elected president of the Korea Federation of Players in December last year and will represent the players until 2026. While serving as chairman for the past year, I realized how important communication between KBO and the players' association is.




Park Chan-ho → Yang Hyun-jong, Kia's aftermath after Choi Hyung-woo's departure, was spared mentioning…Tell the players not to get into an accident
The match between the KIA Tigers and the NC Dinos at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 27th. KIA Yang Hyun-jong is catching his breath. Gwangju = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.09.27/
Park Chan-ho → Yang Hyun-jong, Kia's aftermath after Choi Hyung-woo's departure, was spared mentioning…Tell the players not to get into an accident
The match between the KIA Tigers and the NC Dinos at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 27th. KIA Yang Hyun-jong is pitching hard. Gwangju = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.09.27/
Yang Hyeon-jong "Communication seems to be the most important. KBO and the players held a meeting for the first time, and I think it is more desirable for the players to listen in person and say what we feel rather than listening through the KBO Secretary-General. We also expressed a lot of opinions at the meeting. Since you actively reflected and listened to the KBO, I think you will be able to communicate well from the beginning next year. It's hard to change at once, but we're also talking in a strong tone because our players are playing. So I think it will get better and better gradually" he said.

While representing the players for a year, I felt the hardships of the former chairmen.

Yang Hyun-jong laughed, complaining, "'Personally, it was really hard.'" There was so much to do. Maybe it's because I've never lived in society, but the position of chairman was too heavy. Even when the players meet at the ballpark, it's inevitable and it's hard to do it as much as possible. I knew a lot of things I didn't know, and when I became the chairman, there were things I could see. This season was my first, and there were a lot of things I didn't know, but next season, I think I can think a little more and do it wisely without panicking.'

There was a request for the players.

Yang Hyeon-jong "I wish I didn't get into an accident. I was flabbergasted when I heard the news of the accident. If it's not the president, I don't have to be interested in other team players, but I get a lot of stress. How to talk to the Secretary-General about how to deal with the problem. I think it's a little better after a year, but I think it's best for our players to prepare well and show their best at the ballpark and sweat hard, and I think the fans visited the ballpark a lot and cheered for it because they feel cool. Rather than always warning the players to think and act one more time, I ask them to do so. If we are good at baseball, we will gain a lot of popularity, and I think it is natural as professional players to show humility accordingly," he stressed.

Park Chan-ho → Yang Hyun-jong, Kia's aftermath after Choi Hyung-woo's departure, was spared mentioning…Tell the players not to get into an accident
KIA starter Yang Hyeon-jong is pitching hard in a game between KIA and LG at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 14th. Jamsil= Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.09.14/




This article was translated by Naver AI translator.