*This content was translated by AI.
Local fans also exploded as the U.S. reporters continued to ask persistent questions about Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants), who was detained during his arrival in the U.S. When the video asking the same question five times was released, he is simply annoyed to ask 'baseball-related' questions. In this situation, some analysts say that they hope that the reason why Lee Jung-hoo was detained during the process of entering the United States is for political reasons.
Lee Jung-hoo went to a club fan festival held in San Ramon, California on the 25th (Korea Standard Time). It was belatedly known that he was detained at Los Angeles International Airport while entering the United States on the 22nd, and in an interview held at the event, questions were asked about the reason for the delay in entry rather than resolution for the 2026 season.
According to a video released by NBC Sports Bay Arena in the U.S., Lee Jung-hoo responded with a smile, saying, "It was just a minor document issue, and it was solved well because people around me helped me a lot." However, the U.S. reporters did not stop asking questions. They repeated questions that Lee Jung-hoo could not answer, such as "Is it related to political reasons?" and "Why did a document problem that did not exist before arise this time?"
When the video of the interview was released, local fans in San Francisco immediately reacted. Fans posted video comments and various social media such as X (formerly Twitter), saying, "The reporters are so annoying. He pointed out the reporters' attitude by saying, "Why are you asking me so persistently what happened at the airport when I have to ask a baseball player a baseball question?" and "Why do you keep asking the same thing when Lee Jung-hoo has explained everything?" In particular, another fan strongly criticized the uncareful baptism of rude questions, saying, "Lee Jung-hoo responded to the interview with excitement while preparing for the new season, but reporters are only chasing gossip."
Despite a flurry of questions, Lee Jung-hoo's response stood out. Rather, Brian Kang, who was interpreted by Lee Jung-hoo, looked more embarrassed. Asked if political reasons were involved, Lee Jung-hoo said, "There was no such thing at all. It was just a procedural matter and it was solved well," he said, calmly drawing the line. Lee Jung-hoo said, "It was good to be able to focus only on training without injury (in Korea) this off-season. He also expressed his determination for the season by saying, "I invested a lot of time because I wanted to be a player without ups and downs in defense."
Lee Jung-hoo was reportedly detained for about four hours while entering the United States on the 22nd. The San Francisco club issued an official statement in the name of then-general manager Jack Minasian, saying, "Lee Jung-hoo was briefly disrupted in entry at LAX Airport (Los Angeles International Airport) due to paperwork issues. The issue was quickly resolved by the relevant authorities. After that, Lee Jung-hoo was able to enter the country safely. We would like to thank everyone involved for their professional efforts," he said.
"There was no political motive for the delay, and there were no contraband or illegal items in Lee Jung-hoo's luggage. Normally, Lee Jung-hoo will be able to participate in the scheduled Giants' fan festival," he added.
However, Han Dong-hee, who is interpreting Lee Jung-hoo, was found to have been delayed for about a week. Brian Kang, another Korean employee, played the role of interpreter for Lee Jung-hoo at the club event on the 25th. Regarding the interpretation of Han Dong-hee, Lee Jung-hoo explained, "There is a problem with the passport and it will come in next week."
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*This content was translated by AI.
