'Married a cheerleader, then suddenly told of a trade' — He even set up his new home in Daejeon... Will he truly shine in Gwangju?

*This content was translated by AI.

Franchise star Ha Ju-seok (32), who seemed destined to remain a one-club man with the Hanwha Eagles forever, has finally left Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark. Will Ha Ju-seok be able to fully unleash his potential in Gwangju while wearing the KIA Tigers uniform?

On the 23rd, KIA officially announced: "We have completed a trade with the Hanwha Eagles for infielder Ha Ju-seok and pitcher Lee Hyung-beom (32)."

This was a surprise trade. Ha Ju-seok, who graduated from Gangnam Elementary School, Deoksuh Middle School, and Sinil High School, was selected as the first overall pick in the first round of the 2012 KBO Rookie Draft by the Hanwha Eagles. He has played exclusively for Hanwha for an impressive 15 seasons up to this year — a true one-club man. Once even serving as team captain, Ha Ju-seok, who had spent the longest time with the Eagles among current players, has finally left Hanwha.

Ha Ju-seok previously led the infield as the starting shortstop for Hanwha. After completing his mandatory military service with the Army Baseball Team (2014–2015), he secured a starting role under manager Kim Sung-geun in the 2016 season. From then on, except for the 2019 and 2020 seasons, he played more than 100 games each season through 2022.

However, in the 2023 season, he appeared in only 25 games. In the 2024 season, he struggled with a hamstring injury and played just 64 games. After the 2024 season ended, he gained free agent (FA) status and re-signed with his original team, Hanwha. At that time, he signed a one-year guaranteed contract worth 90 million won, plus an option of 20 million won, totaling 110 million won.

This was also the moment he escaped the crisis of becoming an FA free agent. Yet at that time, Hanwha had already signed Sim Woo-jun, a player in the same position, as a free agent. Even under these circumstances, Ha Ju-seok played 95 games in the 2025 season, posting a batting average of .297 (82 hits in 276 at-bats), four home runs, 28 RBIs, 34 runs scored, 14 doubles, two stolen bases (one failed), 12 walks, 66 strikeouts, an on-base percentage of .337, and a slugging percentage of .391.

Ha Ju-seok's career statistics over 14 seasons include 997 games played, a batting average of .268, 53 home runs, 869 hits, 373 RBIs, and 425 runs scored. This season, he appeared in 27 first-division games with a batting average of .256, 20 hits, six RBIs, and five runs scored. Additionally, in the Futures League, he has recorded a batting average of .327 (32 hits in 98 at-bats), one home run, 12 RBIs, 13 runs scored, three doubles, 13 walks, two stolen bases, two hit-by-pitches, 15 strikeouts, a slugging percentage of .388, and an on-base percentage of .412 across 32 games.

A KIA official explained the background of this trade: "Ha Ju-seok is a versatile player who can handle multiple infield positions, including second base and shortstop. With his rich first-division experience, we expect him to contribute significantly to our team's strength, which is why we pursued this trade."

After five years of dating, Ha Ju-seok married cheerleader Kim Yeon-jeong last December, drawing widespread attention. At the time, through the Hanwha Eagles organization, he said: "My wife has been someone who truly supported and held me up during difficult times. I am grateful to her, and I will strive to be a husband she can be proud of both on and off the baseball field." After their marriage, they set up their new home in Daejeon, and it seemed he would continue playing for Hanwha. However, no one can predict the future. Through this trade, Ha Ju-seok is now leaving his beloved Daejeon to join KIA. Will he finally be able to pour all his abilities onto the field in Gwangju?

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*This content was translated by AI.