Offer of 4.6 billion won + Yankees owner also sent 'two letters'! Busan High's Ha Hyun-seung, who chose to 'stay in Korea', why was he so sincere about the KBO? "I was truly grateful, but..." [On-site interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Ha Hyun-seung (18), a two-way pitcher and hitter from Busan High, has rejected the final offer from the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB).

On the morning of the 26th, Ha Hyun-seung conveyed his final decision to decline to the Yankees after consulting with his parents. According to StarNews' investigation, the Yankees made a final offer of a contract worth 3 million dollars (approximately 4.6 billion won) to Ha Hyun-seung's side immediately after the high school-college all-star game held in Daejeon on the 8th.

This was an upgraded condition from the previous offer of 2.25 million dollars (approximately 3.5 billion won). Ha Hyun-seung had already rejected this offer on the 29th of last month. At that time, Ha Hyun-seung stated via his SNS, "I was truly grateful to receive so much interest from many MLB teams. It was an honor as it was a stage I had always dreamed of. After sufficient consultation with my parents and Busan High coach Park Gye-won, I decided to start my professional career in the KBO League. I believed it was more important to build my fundamentals and gain experience in the KBO League while learning from excellent seniors."

However, the Yankees were sincere about Ha Hyun-seung. According to Busan High coach Park Gye-won, the Yankees did not simply raise the amount but also presented a concrete plan for Ha Hyun-seung's development. While some recently reported conditions were exaggerated, it is true that the Yankees owner sent two letters and showed his sincerity.

Ha Hyun-seung met with StarNews at Busan High on the 26th and said, "I was truly grateful for the Yankees' interest. They cared a lot for me. But I originally wanted to play in the KBO. Although many people gave me advice, I was never shaken. (Even with the upgraded conditions) I was just grateful. My desire to succeed and go to the KBO was very strong."

Why was he so sincere about the Korean KBO League? Ha Hyun-seung said, "I believe Korean baseball is not easy either. I judged that there is much to learn and that I can level up here as well. I thought it was right to prove myself in the KBO League before moving on, and this thought has never changed." He continued with a smile, "Also, I thought I could play baseball fun with friends of my age and older acquaintances in the KBO League. The experience of pitching in front of fans at the last high school-college all-star game was really fun."

What remains now is winning the national tournament, being selected for the youth national team, and aiming for the first overall pick in the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft. Ha Hyun-seung laughed, "Honestly, the recent rumors seemed to be lifting me up too much. My original plan was to stay quiet and submit the draft application form as soon as July 1st came..."

He added, "Nevertheless, I plan to submit the KBO Rookie Draft application form immediately on July 1st. The number one priority is not to get injured until the draft, and I want to consistently throw at 150 km/h without overdoing it. I will do my best to achieve good results immediately after entering the pros next year. As per my original goal, I will become the best in Korean professional baseball, gain recognition, receive good treatment in the MLB, and give it a try."

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*This content was translated by AI.