Veteran KBO infielder Hwang Jae-gyun announces retirement
Hwang Jae-gyun of the KT Wiz celebrates after hitting an RBI single against the Kiwoom Heroes during the clubs' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, May 25. Yonhap
Hwang Jae-gyun, an All-Star infielder in the Korean baseball league who also had a cup of coffee in the majors, announced his retirement Friday at age 38.
The KT Wiz, the last team in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) for Hwang, said the veteran decided to call it a career after 18 seasons at home and one brief stint with the San Francisco Giants in 2017.
Hwang made his KBO debut with the now-defunct Hyundai Unicorns in 2007. He then spent the next two seasons with the Woori (currently Kiwoom) Heroes, a new franchise that joined the KBO after the Unicorns folded.
Hwang was traded to the Lotte Giants in July 2010 and remained with the Busan-based club until 2016. He won the 2012 All-Star Game MVP award while with the Giants.
He appeared in only 18 games for the San Francisco Giants in 2017 and returned to the KBO by signing with the Wiz in November 2017.
He spent the rest of his KBO career there, helping them win their first Korean Series title in 2021 as team captain. The year before that, Hwang earned his first and only Golden Glove award at third base as the best overall player at his position, after batting .312 with 21 homers, 97 RBIs and 11 steals and playing his typically strong defense at the hot corner.
Internationally, Hwang won gold medals at the 2014 and the 2018 Asian Games.
In 2025, Hwang batted .275 with seven homers and 48 RBIs in 112 games. By recording 108 hits, Hwang became the seventh player in KBO history to put up at least 100 hits in 14 consecutive seasons.
Hwang became a free agent this offseason. He revealed that the Wiz had given him "a good offer" but he still decided it was time to hang up his cleats.
He finished with 2,200 games played, along with a .287 batting average, 227 home runs, 1,121 RBIs, 235 steals and 2,266 hits. He ranks seventh all time in games and hits, and is one of only three KBO players ever with at least 200 home runs and 200 steals.
"During my career, I enjoyed the greatest thrill ever by winning the Korean Series title, and I also had the honor of representing the country at the Olympics and the Asian Games," Hwang said. "I've been happy as a baseball player. I want to be remembered as someone who stayed on the field and played consistently. I'd like to thank my family, my coaches and my teammates for helping me along over the years."
The Wiz said they will hold a retirement ceremony for Hwang early next season.