Lotte fans' DM barrage: Park Geon-woo feels wronged, "No issue with Son Seong-bin → Respectful catcher, sorry this happened"

*This content was translated by AI.

Following the game on the previous day (25th), which sparked intense discussion on baseball communities and social media over the "Park Geon-woo-Son Seong-bin confrontation rumor," NC Dinos outfielder Park Geon-woo (36) spoke directly. He emphasized that there was no issue at all and conveyed that Son Seong-bin is a catcher he respects.

The incident began with a scene during the NC vs. Lotte Giants game held on the 25th at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium. In the bottom of the 3rd inning, with a runner on second base, Park Geon-woo crossed home plate following Kwon Hee-dong's RBI hit, then entered the dugout where he was captured by broadcast cameras making eye contact with Son Seong-bin and appearing to say something.

Some fans who saw this speculated, "Did Park Geon-woo intimidate his junior Son Seong-bin or engage in a confrontation? Why did he say something?" Following this, some Lotte fans sent a flood of DMs (direct messages) filled with criticism to Park Geon-woo's personal SNS account, spreading the controversy.

On the following day, the 26th, ahead of the Kiwoom Heroes game, Park Geon-woo expressed his sense of injustice over the barrage of malicious DMs from some extreme fans and clearly stated that there was no problem between him and Lotte Giants catcher Son Seong-bin.

Regarding this, Park Geon-woo stated he felt wronged and flustered. In an interview with StarNews, he drew a line, saying, "At that time, there was absolutely no conversation or situation that could have caused a misunderstanding or issue with Son Seong-bin during the game." He added, "It seems you are overinterpreting based only on the fragmented image captured on the broadcast screen, which is why I am flustered," expressing his feelings about the flood of DMs.

Park Geon-woo also did not hold back his praise and respect for Son Seong-bin, who is a junior player on the opposing team. He said, "Seong-bin is a young, capable catcher whom I truly respect," and added, "We compete fiercely on the field, but there is no personal animosity. I hope fans will refrain from further misunderstandings or speculation. There was absolutely no issue. As an opposing catcher, he works very hard and shows a threatening presence, so there was also encouragement involved."

Finally, Park Geon-woo bowed his head, saying, "For whatever reason, I really want to convey my apology to Seong-bin for this happening." He also expressed his regret as a senior player over the situation itself, which had escalated into an off-field controversy regardless of his intentions.

Recently, in the professional baseball world, fleeting moments during games are frequently frozen into short-form videos or memes, leading to rumors that distort the facts. In some cases, players even receive malicious messages directly. Park Geon-woo's prompt explanation is expected to quell the reckless speculation.

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*This content was translated by AI.