After leaving all the team pillars, I recommend buying low points even for the last place for 3 consecutive years! Haribo is back. "All we have to do is do better."

*This content was translated by AI.

Haribo Kim Jae-woong (28, Keum Heroes) who returned delivered a sensational feeling of being discharged from the military.

Kim Jae-woong watched the men's regular league fourth round match between Woori Card and Korean Air in the 2025-2026 V-League at Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul on the 8th.

It was thanks to Woori Card's outside heater Jung Sung-kyu (28), who made a connection in the Armed Forces Sports Unit (Sangmu). On this day, Kim Jae-woong visited with acquaintances such as Lee Jae-won (27, LG Twins), who served in the military together, and teammate Park Joo-sung (26, Kiwoom).

Kim Jae-woong, who met Star News, said, "I came today because Sung-kyu (Jung) invited me, but I'm also close to Lim Dong-hyuk of Korean Air. This is the first time for men's volleyball. I've seen women's volleyball a few times in the past," he said.

Park Joo-sung said, "It's been a long time since I saw volleyball when I was completely young, and foreign players are really cool. If you look at the serve, the power is definitely different. Also, volleyball seems to have different fun than baseball because the situation changes rapidly."

Attracted by the strong serve of both teams coming and going throughout the game. They took selfies (self-cameras) with each other in the atmosphere of the volleyball court, and after the game, they came down to the court and took commemorative photos with other players. Kim Jae-woong said, "Things change quickly, and even when I fell, I somehow raised it. The heat felt in the stands was definitely different. This is why I watch volleyball. It's really fun," he said.

The two, who returned from Sangmu, are considered to be the main players of Kiwoom's mound this year. Park Joo-sung joined the 2019 KBO Rookie Draft as the first designation and returned from Sangmu in the 2025 season. While taking the starting class, he recorded 2 wins, 3 losses and 1 hold with a 6.58 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 52 innings in 18 games. It is not a satisfactory performance, but it also left its own achievements, including its first start win and hold.

"It's been a long time since I played full-time, and I could see what I'm lacking at the moment," Park Joo-sung said, looking back on this season, "Right now, I'm trying to continue to build up my basic physical strength and make up for my shortcomings."

Kim Jae-woong's return is also a blessing for Kiwoom, which is seeking to come out of last place. Kim Jae-woong joined the 2017 KBO Rookie Draft, called the Heroes Golden Draft, as the 57th pick in the second round of the 6th round, and played a must-win role before joining the army. Sangmu did not perform as well as expected due to injuries. After recording an ERA of 1.40 in 17 games (19 ⅓ innings) in the first year, he marked an ERA of 6.43 in seven games (7 innings) last year. Fortunately, he returned in September after elbow surgery in May last year and finished the last three games without losing a point.

Kim Jae-woong said, "The commerce department managed and cared for me really well. Thanks to this, I was able to return before discharge and check my physical condition. Thank you for helping me prepare well this winter," he said, expressing his sincere feelings to managing director Park Chi-wang and his colleagues.

It's been a long time since I came back, but I don't know many faces. The team situation is worse than when it joined the army. The Heroes' pillars headed to the United States every year. After the end of the 2023 season, Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants) and Kim Hye-sung (27, LA Dodgers) left after the 2024 season, and not long ago, Song Sung-moon (30, San Diego Padres) flew to the U.S.

Now, there are fewer than 10 pitchers who have been with Kim Jae-woong and Park Joo-sung for a long time, including Kim Sung-min (32), Ha Young-min (31), Ahn Woo-jin (27), and Lee Seung-ho (27). Kim Jae-woong said, "It is true that many of the faces I know have disappeared. But I think there's still a lot. Rather, since I'm in my 10th year, I have a sense of responsibility to take better care of my seniors and juniors," he stressed.

Kiwoom is expected to have a difficult season this year, with both pitching and hitting loose. I want to leave behind the disappointment of being in last place for three consecutive years, but there are still more uncertain factors than other teams. However, 'Gocheok Haribo', who led the Heroes to the final Korean Series with his pitching sliding and counter-throwing, had a different idea. Rather, they found hope by seeing fans who visited Gocheok Sky Dome despite poor performance and people saying that others had nothing to expect.

In fact, Kiwoom broke the club's spectator record several times by mobilizing 874,138 home spectators (average 12,312) in the 2025 season. On this day, many fans flocked to Kim Jae-woong, who was left alone while his friends were away, asking for photos and autographs. Gocheok Haribo's popularity remained even at the volleyball court.

Kim Jae-woong said, "The team's performance is not good, but it is our fans who came and supported us a lot. There will be regrets and expectations. We know how our fans feel, so we're all trying to do better," he said with strength. "On the contrary, I think our team has only a day left to do better in the future. You can cheer for us harder. I will also go to the game a lot and do my best to help the team rank higher," he said, recommending a low-point purchase.

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*This content was translated by AI.