"I don't remember from when I was young..." Kiwoom Heroes pitcher Park Jun-hyun, son of Park Seok-min, expresses stunned feelings about his first All-Star selection → Reenacts touching '15-year-old embrace' with Choi Hyung-woo

*This content was translated by AI.

Park Jun-hyun (19), a pitcher for the Kiwoom Heroes who stepped onto the All-Star stage from his debut year, expressed heartfelt feelings and strong determination to rebound in the second half of the season. Having grown from a 'little one' who accompanied his father, Park Seok-min (41, Samsung Lions 2nd Division coach), to the All-Star game as a child into a confident active KBO League All-Star, he created a meaningful moment with Choi Hyung-woo (43, Samsung Lions), his father's close senior.

Ahead of the 2026 All-Star Game held at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 11th, Park Jun-hyun met with on-site reporters and said, "I am so grateful to the manager and fans because the team sent me." He added, "I will create good memories today and show an even better performance in the second half based on that," sharing his thoughts on being selected as an All-Star for the first time.

Park Jun-hyun, who became one of the few father-son All-Star duos in KBO League history alongside Lee Jong-beom and Lee Jung-hoo, had previously visited the All-Star Game venue following his father when he was young. The Kiwoom organization even introduced him as having 'All-Star experience.'

Regarding this, he said, "Actually, I don't remember much from when I was young. It feels like 'I took a photo of this,' just looking at the pictures." However, he added, "But now, I deeply feel that (the All-Star Game) is truly a place hard to reach. I want to perform well and come again next time." On his father's calm reaction, he shared, "He didn't say much specifically about the All-Star Game, just told me to greet my seniors properly."

A touching scene was reenacted at the All-Star Game venue that day. Choi Hyung-woo, a 'great senior' who once embraced young Park Jun-hyun when he came to the All-Star Game with his father, met him again, recreating their embrace from 15 years after the 2011 season on the All-Star field. The embrace between the two players transcending time is offering quiet emotion to baseball fans.

Park Jun-hyun, who stepped out confidently as an active All-Star, did not hide his respect for An Woo-jin, the league's top pitcher and his team senior. He said, "Since joining the team, Hyung An Woo-jin has been my role model. Even though I had just met him, he took better care of me than others, and from spring camp onward, he shared an enormous amount of baseball-related advice." He added, "I think meeting a brother like Woojin is the greatest blessing for me," expressing his gratitude.

What kind of pitcher was An Woo-jin as seen by Park Jun-hyun? Park said, "I have never seen anyone who seemed like a 'real monster' while playing baseball, but watching Woojin throw made me feel that 'this person is truly different.' I want to be like him in a few years," revealing his ambition. When asked if there was any ability he wanted to take from An Woo-jin, he answered, "Learning ability. When my balance is off, the coach corrects it immediately, and I want to steal that kind of talent."

Reflecting on the first half of the season, Park Jun-hyun judged that there were more regrets. He said, "It was regrettable that my control sometimes collapsed on the mound." He added, "Especially, I often found myself in unfavorable counts when hit by batters. In the second half, even if I get hit, I want to enter with a favorable count and engage in direct competition," pointing out specific areas for improvement.

Now, Kiwoom is launching a system with two foreign batters in the second half, shifting into a 'five-starter system' centered on native pitchers. Park Jun-hyun's opportunities to start are expected to come more frequently. Regarding this, Park Jun-hyun said, "I think I need to face batters first, so I will trust my pitches and face them confidently," his eyes shining.

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*This content was translated by AI.