What a coincidence!' Park Byung-ho's mention day → Seo Geon-chang has confirmed his romantic return to Kiwoom. "There was a great consensus to finish in Heroes."

*This content was translated by AI.

A 'very coincidental' coincidence led to a romantic reunion. Seo Geon-chang (37), a professor who led the Kiwoom Heroes' heyday, will finally wear his team's uniform again. Seo Geon-chang's return to "romantic" was confirmed on the day it was reported that the Kiwoom Heroes' new coach Park Byung-ho (40), gave a pep talk.

Kiwoom announced in a surprise move on the afternoon of the 16th that it signed a player contract with infielder Seo Geon-chang for an annual salary of 120 million won. Seo Geon-chang, who was released from the KIA Tigers after the end of the 2025 season, reached out while seeking a new path, creating a romantic scene.

The reason why this return is more dramatic is the timing. The day before Seo Geon-chang's contract announcement (15th), there was a press conference for Park Byung-ho's retirement and appointment as a coach. At the meeting, he asked Park Byung-ho, "Are you in touch with Seo Geon-chang, who is at the crossroads of the extension as an unregistered contractor?"

In response, Park Byung-ho said, "I've been in touch with him often. In fact, there is nothing I can say about the contract. However, if the player has a dream (of extending his active role), I think it is right to keep trying, and we had such conversations. In fact, I think we need to wait, but he said, "Let's wait while preparing."

According to Kiwoom officials, Seo Geon-chang's contract was confirmed on the day Park Byung-ho gave warm comfort. In a phone call with Star News, the official said, "In the process of preparing for the 2026 season, we continued to keep in touch with Seo Geon-chang and reviewed the possibility of recruiting him. In the end, after Park Byung-ho's press conference, he was confirmed to be recruited that evening." "In fact, Seo Geon-chang is a player who spent his prime in our club. He added, "Even when I was at another club, I continued to have good feelings and communicate with them about their safety."

There is also some level of respect for Seo Geon-chang's recruitment. The official said, "In fact, there are a lot of things that Seo Geon-chang contributed to the team when he played for our club. Not only did he hit 200 hits for the first time on the professional baseball stage, but he also played for nine seasons. Above all, both the club and the players had a great consensus that the Heroes should finish. I also saw the possibility of rebounding if I make a good body in the offseason. He said, "He's a very good self-managing player."

In fact, Park Byung-ho and Seo Geon-chang are also inseparable. That's how special it is. He is one of the main players who led the Nexen Heroes (currently Kiwoom) to their heyday in early 2010. Park Byung-ho truly dominated the KBO league as the home run king, and Seo Geon-chang also played an active role in the 2014 season, writing the record of 200 hits for the first time in the KBO league. Park Byung-ho won the 2013 season and Seo Geon-chang won the MVP in the 2014 season, as well as the Golden Glove, at the peak of Korean professional baseball, and they shared their hearts that much.

Park Byung-ho also said, "The most memorable time in my baseball life was when I first entered the fall baseball league. I was also an unknown player and experienced fall baseball for the first time. At that time, there were also many players with stories. I was really happy and happy to be united with the players. The most memorable teammates are also the players they were with at the time. The players from No. 1 to No. 9 were also very good. There were strong images of the players cheering for each other. I think I had a lot of fun playing baseball because there were players who came through trades, and there were many players who had their own stories. I also recalled that I had the most fun in those days with those players.

Seo Geon-chang also said, "It feels new to be able to stand in front of the fans who loved me a lot. I'm happy in itself that I have the opportunity to stand on the ground. As I have returned to a place with many good memories, I will take responsibility and prepare hard to play a good season while taking good care of my juniors," he said.

Kiwoom also welcomed Seo Geon-chang's return to his home team. He is a player who understands the culture and system of the Heroes as well as rich experience. As he is a player with thorough self-management, I expect that he will be able to show enough competitiveness if he prepares well for this winter," he said, explaining the background of the recruitment.

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*This content was translated by AI.