'Shock': KIA Sung Young-tak's older brother accused of borrowing money by selling his name; he issues direct statement, "Please pay special attention, it has caused great pain," revealing painful family history

*This content was translated by AI.

KIA Tigers bullpen pitcher Sung Young-tak (22) recently clarified his position regarding rumors that surfaced online about financial issues involving his older brother.

On the 22nd, Sung Young-tak released a statement via his social networking service (SNS), saying, "I have received many inquiries recently regarding financial problems related to my brother, so I am posting this message with a cautious heart."

Sung Young-tak confessed to the painful family history, stating, "My older brother has repeatedly caused financial problems since childhood, and every time, our parents suffered greatly while trying to resolve them."

He continued, "As a family member, I also had to endure difficult times for a long period. Due to these recurring issues, I severed direct contact with him and have focused solely on my athletic career. I am not fully aware of the problems that arose after he became an adult. Although our parents made numerous efforts over the years to resolve them, they were unable to achieve a fundamental solution."

Sung Young-tak then emphasized, "First and foremost, I want to clearly state that neither my parents nor I have ever consented to or been involved in any of my brother's financial actions, nor will we be in the future. Additionally, the business owner of the store is our parents, and they are not making any financial demands in any form. However, if anyone has suffered harm due to my brother, I deeply empathize with their feelings and convey my sincere regrets."

He further added, "If you receive any proposals for financial transactions that mention my name or our family relationship, please be sure to verify the facts. This matter is unrelated to us, so we kindly ask for your special attention. We sincerely apologize for causing concern during the season due to this unintended issue."

Recently, rumors spread online claiming that Sung Young-tak's older brother borrowed money using his younger brother's name and failed to repay it, sparking controversy. It was reported that he became entangled in a 'margin investing (investing with debt)' scandal after failing to repay the loan on the agreed date.

Meanwhile, Sung Young-tak graduated from Dongju Elementary School (Busan Seoguri Little League), Gaeseong Middle School, and Busan High School before being selected 96th overall in the 10th round of the 2024 KBO Rookie Draft. He signed a formal contract with KIA in 2025. His signing bonus was 30 million won. In his rookie season last year, his salary was also the minimum wage of 30 million won.

Sung Young-tak began to stand out from his first season. Last year, he appeared in 45 games, recording 3 wins, 2 losses, 7 holds, and an ERA of 1.55. Over a total of 52⅓ innings, he allowed 38 hits (including 2 home runs), issued 13 walks, recorded 30 strikeouts, and gave up 11 runs (9 earned). Based on this outstanding performance, his salary for this season has surged to 120 million won.

Sung Young-tak continues to perform well this season. Although he recently returned to a middle-relief role, he served as the team's closer throughout the first half of the season, securely closing out games. This season, Sung Young-tak has appeared in 34 games, recording 2 wins, 1 loss, 12 saves, and 3 holds with an ERA of 3.28. Over a total of 35⅔ innings, he has allowed 40 hits (including 2 home runs), issued 12 walks, recorded 29 strikeouts, and given up 17 runs (13 earned).

Hello, this is Sung Young-tak. Recently, I have received many inquiries regarding financial problems related to my brother, so I am posting this message with a cautious heart.

My older brother has repeatedly caused financial problems since childhood, and every time, our parents suffered greatly while trying to resolve them. As a family member, I also had to endure difficult times for a long period. Due to these recurring issues, I severed direct contact with him and have focused solely on my athletic career. I am not fully aware of the problems that arose after he became an adult. Although our parents made numerous efforts over the years to resolve them, they were unable to achieve a fundamental solution.

First and foremost, I want to clearly state that neither my parents nor I have ever consented to or been involved in any of my brother's financial actions, nor will we be in the future. Additionally, the business owner of the store is our parents, and they are not making any financial demands in any form. However, if anyone has suffered harm due to my brother, I deeply empathize with their feelings and convey my sincere regrets.

If you receive any proposals for financial transactions that mention my name or our family relationship, please be sure to verify the facts. This matter is unrelated to us, so we kindly ask for your special attention. We sincerely apologize for causing concern during the season due to this unintended issue.

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*This content was translated by AI.