Hanwha Son Ah-seop confessed his feelings, "Honestly, thank you, it's hard to express..."

*This content was translated by AI.

Son Ah-seop (38), the living legend of Korean baseball, suffered a lot as the only free agent (FA) non-contract this winter. Still, he stayed with the Hanwha Eagles in the end, and now he is playing again to revive the 2026 season.

Recently, Son Ah-seop appeared on "Lim Chan-kyu, a baseball player" and received applause from many viewers as he confessed his true feelings. In particular, the part of his feelings at the time of the transfer, which was not broadcasted, was recently released for the first time, drawing even more attention.

Son Ah-seop said about his feelings at the time of the two transfers, "At first, I was really very sad. And the second time, I thought it was rather another opportunity," he said. He said, "Of course, there was a regret and heartbreak for my colleagues I had with. He said, "It was the same both times," but added, "But I think the external feeling was a little different."

Son Ah-seop is one of the living legends of the KBO League. Above all, he is currently the main character of the KBO League record of most hits (2,618). He held the Golden Glove in his arms six times and became the batting king once. He also received the most hits award four times.

Son Ah-seop, who made his professional debut with Lotte Giants in 2007, signed his first FA contract with Lotte for four years and 9.8 billion won after the end of the 2017 season. It was just ahead of the 2022 season that a big change came to him. At that time, he received a love call from the NC Dinos, and eventually moved the nest to Changwon on the condition of four years and 6.4 billion won.

Son Ah-seop, who recalled the time, said, "The first transfer was my choice, but anyway, it was to leave the place where I was born and lived my whole life (Busan)."

Son Ah-seop left the NC Dinos for Hanwha through a trade in July last year. Hanwha paid NC one ticket and 300 million won in cash for the third round of the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft. It was clear why Hanwha wanted Son Ah-seop. Fall baseball, and it was a championship.

Son Ah-seop then said of Hanwha, "The second (Hanwha transfer) was experienced once anyway," adding, "It was a short time, but I was really happy. I really didn't feel that I came (to Hanwha) from another team," he confessed.

He continued, "The players approached me really comfortably. To be honest, I was grateful. I was grateful, and as a result, I think I had so much fun living. I think it's a little hard to put into words. He expressed his sincere gratitude, saying, "There is such a thing that comes from the deep inside of my heart."

Son Ah-seop, who came to Hanwha, also had a happy time, stepping on the stage of his first Korean Series. However, he was turned away by the market after the end of the season, and eventually signed a one-year deal with Hanwha. Now Son Ah-seop is sweating watching only 2026 season.

Son Ah-seop said on the broadcast earlier, "The thing I always have the least loyalty to people is baseball. Because I liked him so much, loved him, and tried to look good, but he eventually abandoned me and betrayed me." And he said, "Honestly, I'm really confident. While going to three teams, I experienced many juniors coming up. There are many juniors who are good at it, but coldly, it's not too much yet. "If I feel too much in the competition with those juniors, I have to prepare for the next (retirement)."

Son Ah-seop said, "I was the batting king in the 2023 season. But that winter, I first felt anxious about whether I could do well next year. "I won the batting king and the most hit award, but I wasn't sure," he said. "But there is a difference this year. I'm preparing for the 2025 season with a good feeling with my teacher, who is difficult to reveal why it was hard against the pitcher. He also vowed to take another leap forward this season, saying, "Even if I can't produce results, this time is really big and precious in playing baseball and as a leader in the future."

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*This content was translated by AI.