*This content was translated by AI.
Kim Hyun-soo (38), who led the LG Twins to an integrated championship last year and newly joined the KT Wiz, did not mind meeting his former team from the opening game.
Kim Hyun-soo told reporters at Incheon International Airport ahead of his departure for KT's spring camp in Geelong, Australia, on the 21st, "I'm actually a little worried. If you came when you were young, you can do what the older brothers told you to do. However, now, we cannot talk about it carelessly without knowing how KT has done it so far. I'm trying to get to know as well as I can because every word I say can cloud the atmosphere," he said honestly.
The 44 KT players, led by head coach Lee Kang-chul (60), left for Geelong, Australia with 12 coaches earlier in the day. The first to arrive at Incheon International Airport was Kim Hyun-soo, a transfer. On Nov. 25 last year, Kim Hyun-soo built a new nest at KT, which guaranteed 5 billion won (down payment of 3 billion won, total annual salary of 2 billion won) for three years. It was only a month after leading LG to its fourth unified championship with outstanding performance.
There were also many unnecessary misunderstandings in the process. However, in the end, he chose KT, which needed him the most. LG, who won two Korean Series titles in eight seasons, said goodbye. The narrative between Kim Hyun-soo and LG, which had been quiet, became a hot topic again about three weeks later when the 2026 KBO regular season schedule was announced. The "Kim Hyun-soo Derby" took place as the winner LG's opening match was decided by KT.
However, Kim Hyun-soo himself was calm in this regard. Kim Hyun-soo said, "I can't help it. I didn't think much about it because we would meet someday. I just have to be good. Now, I just think KT has to play to win," he said. "I realized that I became a KT player when I signed because I couldn't go to Jamsil already. "I would have been less burdened if I was five years younger, but it's a little different because I'm old," he said.
Last year, Kim Hyun-soo recovered his reputation as an original hitting machine for the first time in a long time. After two sluggish years, he rebounded with a batting average of 0.298 (144 hits in 483 at-bats) of 12 home runs, 90 RBIs, 66 runs, four steals, and an OPS of 0.806 in 140 regular-season games last year. In the Korean Series, he won the MVP award with a batting average of 0.529 (9 hits in 17 at-bats) and one homer and eight RBIs in five games, completely wiping out the stigma of being weak in the fall.
Leadership is what drew attention together. In the baseball community, the culture of LG's team has changed before and after Kim Hyun-soo was recruited. KT expects Kim Hyun-soo to show steady batting as a good senior.
The player himself is aware of these expectations. Kim Hyun-soo said, "As I transferred, there were some stories of leadership, but I don't think he would have brought me in just for that reason. (Kang) Baekho is also out, and I think I need to fill it, so I think maintaining my skills is the most important thing. I tried hard to meet those expectations," he stressed.
It is not easy to fill the void of Kang Baek-ho, who played at the center of KT's lineup for eight seasons. After batting .303 with 136 homers and 565 RBIs over the past eight years, Kang Baek-ho headed to the Hanwha Eagles for four years and 10 billion won this winter. He did not pay much attention to the effect of the stadium that left the wide Jamsil Baseball Stadium.
Kim Hyun-soo said, "Depending on the stadium, the long hit may increase a little more, but I don't think it will increase significantly. There is no guarantee that it will get better unconditionally, and I am trying to hit it more accurately and perfectly," he said with force. He continued, "I really don't have any personal goals. Rather, KT was not able to play in the fall baseball last year. When you recruit so many players, you have to perform well to create better synergy. That's why I want to help the team from entering the fall baseball league to winning the championship," he said.
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*This content was translated by AI.
