Padres Korean star Kim Ha-seong becomes object of envy during Seoul Series
San Diego Padres shortstop Kim Ha-seong speaks with the press at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
In his fourth season with the San Diego Padres, South Korean shortstop Kim Ha-seong is enjoying a historic opportunity to play Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season games on his home soil.
It has made San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo, one of Kim's best friends in baseball, envy him.
Lee and Kim were teammates with the Kiwoom Heroes from 2017 to 2020. When Lee came out of high school to make his professional debut in 2017, Kim, three years his senior, took Lee under his wing. They became two of the best players in the Korea Baseball Organization along the way.
Kim left for MLB first and then Lee followed in his footsteps, signing a six-year, $113 million contract with the Giants in December. He had been linked with the Padres during his posting period but Lee ended up with another National League West team.
In a conversation with Yonhap News Agency in the clubhouse Thursday, Kim said he had been in constant touch with Lee throughout the spring. The Padres are in town to play the Los Angeles Dodgers in a two-game Seoul Series, the first time MLB has brought its regular season games to South Korea.
"He's pretty jealous," Kim said. "I personally think that the next time MLB has games in Seoul or elsewhere in South Korea, Jung-hoo will get to come here. He's doing well and San Francisco is a pretty popular team in South Korea."
Kim, coming off a Gold Glove-winning season in 2023, has been the homecoming hero throughout the week. He has also been pulled in many different directions as one of the faces of the Seoul Series, and his manager Mike Shildt has marveled at the way Kim has handled his obligations with professionalism.
"I am really grateful for this opportunity to play MLB games in front of Korean fans," Kim said. "It's been so much fun. Time has flown by, and I hope I have another chance to play in Korea before my MLB career ends." (Yonhap)