"My greatest pride in my baseball career is that I was loved." The final chapter of Hwang Jae-gyun's 220-game career: Why did everyone cry for him? [Suwon Field Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

"The greatest pride of my baseball career is not a championship, records, or trophies. It is that I was loved by you all."

As the saying goes, Hwang Jae-kyun's (39) final moments were filled with people who loved him. 2,201 games played, 2,266 hits, 227 home runs, and 1,121 RBIs. From challenging Major League Baseball (MLB) to winning the Golden Glove and the Korean Series. Although he left behind countless records and scenes over 20 years, what Hwang Jae-kyun cited as his greatest pride at the final moment was something else entirely.

Hwang Jae-kyun held his official retirement ceremony on the 13th, concluding the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season match between KT Wiz and Lotte Giants at Suwon KT Wiz Park.

After KT secured a 5-2 victory, the field quickly became busy preparing for Hwang Jae-gyun's final farewell. However, it did not take long. Since the retirement ceremony originally scheduled for the 8th was postponed once due to extreme heat, the KT organization appeared well-prepared and set up the stage with seamless coordination. Meanwhile, fans who had filled the stadium to its capacity of 18,700 seats for the 22nd time this season did not leave their seats.

The KT players changed into commemorative jerseys for Hwang Jae-kyun's retirement ceremony and gathered together. From his alma mater, Kyunggi High School baseball team, captain Oh Jun-yeong-i (CEO) appeared to present a commemorative plaque. On this day, Hwang's parents, who had thrown out the ceremonial first pitch before the game, personally presented their son with a bouquet of flowers.

Hwang Jae-gyun's 20-year bond also filled the screen. Ryu Hyun-jin, Yang Eui-ji, Son Ah-seop, Kang Min-ho, Yang Hyeon-jong, Oh Ji-hwan, Kim Won-jung, Park Min-woo, and Choi Ju-hwan, colleagues and friends he met during his playing career, each offered their congratulations. Former manager Yang Seung-ho and KBO game supervisor Kim Si-jin also cheered on the new beginning of their former student.

Relationships formed outside the baseball stadium were also not left out. Along with Bae Gu (황제) Kim Yeon-kyung, those who grew close through broadcasting activities such as Jang Do-yeon, Kang Ho-dong, and Lee Si-eon congratulated player Hwang Jae-kyun on his final chapter and second life.

There was a moment when Hwang Jae-kyun could no longer hold back. It was the moment KT franchise star Ko Young-pyo appeared in a video and said, "Hello, Jaegyun-hyung." The expression on Hwang Jae-kyun's face, which had been watching the video with a smile, crumbled. At the familiar voice of his junior who had spent the longest time together, tears finally flowed.

Until just before the game, Hwang Jae-kyun said he did not know what emotions he was feeling. He had admitted the day before that he had slept only for two hours. He also said that while writing and revising his retirement speech over several months, he would choke up every time he read it.

The actual retirement speech lasted more than five minutes. Hwang Jae-kyun said he may not have been a flashy player. He reflected that he was not a genius superior to anyone else and was not always a perfect player. At the same time, he stated that he truly loved baseball more than anyone else and tried to play without any regrets at every moment.

Those words briefly and vividly described the 20th-year career of player Hwang Jae-kyun. After attending Sadang Elementary School, Seoul Isu Middle School, and Gyeonggi High School, he was selected by Hyundai Unicorns as the 24th overall pick in the second round of the 2006 KBO Rookie Draft. He later played for Heroes and Lotte, and in 2017, he even stepped onto the MLB stage with the San Francisco Giants.

Upon returning to Korea in 2018, he signed a four-year, 8.8 billion won free agent contract with KT. After the conclusion of the 2021 season, he renewed his contract for another four years worth 6 billion won, spending the longest eight seasons of his 20-year career with KT. In 2,201 KBO League games throughout his career, he recorded a batting average of .285 (7,938 at-bats, 2,266 hits), 227 home runs, 1,121 RBIs, 1,172 runs scored, and 235 stolen bases. His total games played and total hits both rank seventh all-time. In 2020, he received his first career third baseman Golden Glove award, and in 2021, as team captain, he led KT to its inaugural regular season title and Korean Series championship.

However, Hwang Jae-kyun did not emphasize numbers until the very end. Hwang Jae-kyun bowed his head to fans once again, saying, "Please remember me as a player who gave his all until the end, a player who truly loved baseball, and a player who sincerely loved his fans. I think I would be more than happy if that is all you remember."

After the retirement ceremony concluded, the entire infield at Wiz Park became a path to bid farewell to Hwang Jae-kyun's 20 years. Between home plate and first base stood the KT players, while between first base and second base were his junior teammates from Kyunggi High School baseball team. Lining the path from second base to third base and back to home plate were KT fans.

Hwang Jae-kyun was walking his final path, exchanging greetings one by one, when unexpected faces appeared: Kim Won-jung and Jeon Jun-woo, who had been with him during his Lotte days. At first, Hwang Jae-kyun did not recognize Kim Won-jung, but upon realizing who it was later, his eyes welled up again. Then, facing Jeon Jun-woo, with whom he had maintained a close friendship for a long time, he could no longer hold back his emotions.

Jeon Jun-woo did not say much. Before the game, when he met with reporters, Jeon Jun-woo said, "I congratulated him and told him he worked hard. He is doing well on broadcast too; I hope he does even better. I will cheer for his future path. We are so close that it's awkward. Don't we all know without saying anything?" as he showed an awkward smile. However, those words were actually sufficient to explain the relationship between the two.

On that day, Hwang Jae-kyun was not wearing the uniform just for the event. He appeared as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the sixth inning with KT leading 5-2, marking his first official at-bat in 345 days. Although he struck out swinging against Lotte left-hander Lee Young-jae's 150 km/h fastball, the packed crowd applauded him.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, he stepped back onto the field wearing an infielder's glove. After exchanging throws from shortstop, he switched positions with Heo Kyung-min and made his way to third base, the position most familiar to him. The final defensive play concluded when Son Dong-hyun threw the first pitch and was replaced by Jang Jun-won. This was Manager Lee Kang-cheol's final consideration, having said before the game, "I'll use him if we have a three-run lead. Just wait and see."

The manager said after the game, "I congratulate Hwang Jae-kyun on his retirement ceremony. We shared many good memories together, including a Korean Series championship." He added, "He was an excellent player I wanted to work with as a manager. I want to thank him for all his hard work and wish him well in the second chapter of his life ahead."

The players also capped off the "championship captain's" final chapter with a victory. So Hyoung-jun pitched six innings allowing two earned runs to secure his eighth win of the season, while An Hyun-min and Sam Hilliard delivered key RBIs. Before the game, So Hyoung-jun received a special request from Hwang Jae-kyun and kept his promise. He said, "In the locker room, Jaekyun hyung asked me to 'make sure we win today,' so I told him I would do my best."

After all the events concluded, Hwang Jae-kyun watched fireworks prepared exclusively for him alongside his parents. Following a celebratory shower from KT players, he took a final commemorative photo. Thus, the 20th-year career of player Hwang Jae-kyun came to an end. The song that echoed every time Hwang Jae-kyun appeared until his very last day as a player was "The Final Countdown."

Hwang Jae-kyun said, "Every time 'The Final Countdown' played, I always prepared to start anew. But today, the final countdown of my baseball career has ended." He added, "Now, player Hwang Jae-kyun steps down, but I am heading off to begin a new first inning of my life. My baseball is over, but my story is not yet finished. Thank you very much," bidding farewell to his identity as player Hwang Jae-kyun.

The following is the full text of Hwang Jae-kyun's retirement statement.

Hello, this is Hwang Jae-kyun. Honestly, I never thought a day would come when I would say the word "retirement" in front of so many people. As always, I was preparing for the season, getting my body ready, and thinking only about going out to the baseball field, but standing here today has brought up so many thoughts.

I still remember the moment I first put on a glove and threw a ball when I was young. At that time, I simply loved baseball so much. With just one ball and one bat, I could be happy all day long, and my biggest dream was to become a professional player. And fortunately, I was able to realize that dream.

When I first stepped onto the professional stage, everything was unfamiliar and frightening. I wanted to do well, I wanted to be recognized, and I never wanted to give up. So, I tried harder than anyone else, and I wanted to stay longer than anyone else.

However, baseball is far more difficult than I had imagined. There were more days when I performed poorly than days when I did well, and there were moments when the criticism I received was louder than the cheers. On many occasions after games ended, I returned home unable to sleep. There were times when, no matter how hard I tried, the results didn't follow, leading me to think, "Why can't I make it?"

There were moments when injuries made things difficult, and days when my spirit collapsed more than my body. Yet, every time, I was able to rise again because there were people who believed in me: the manager, coaches, seniors, juniors, and all the players who sweated together on the field.

Thanks to all of you, I was not alone. Because there were people who told me it would be okay when I was struggling, sincerely congratulated me more than anyone else when I did well, and helped me get back up when I fell, I was able to reach this point.

And I would like to express my deepest and most heartfelt gratitude first and foremost to the fans. Thank you so much. When I was playing well, you cheered for me louder than anyone else, and even when I struggled, you kept calling out my name until the very end. Honestly, there were many days when I was disappointed in myself. Yet, you always told me, "It's okay," "You can do it again," and "We still believe in you." Those words brought me back to the field, made me pick up the bat again, and helped me stand up once more.

Someone may say that a player is someone who gives strength to fans. However, I actually received even more strength from you all. Thanks to you, I was able to live as player Hwang Jae-kyun, and thanks to you, my baseball career was truly happy.

I may not have been a flashy player. I was no genius superior to anyone else, nor was I always a perfect athlete. But I truly loved baseball more than anyone. And at every moment, I tried to play without regret. In every game, every at-bat, every defensive play, and every single action, I poured everything I had into it. So now, in this very moment, while there may be lingering regrets, there is no remorse. Although I can no longer stand on the field under the name of player Hwang Jae-kyun, the lessons I learned through baseball will likely remain unforgettable for the rest of my life.

Not giving up. Enduring until the end. Believing in someone. And how much power it is to be loved. Baseball taught me all of that.

Now I am trying to start something new again. Perhaps I will find myself on a new stage, or appear before you in another form. But no matter what form my life takes, I will never forget the feelings of this day. And just as I did when I was an athlete, I will live my future life to the very end with all my heart and effort. Finally, many have asked me what kind of player they want to be remembered as. I do not wish to be remembered for grand records or numbers.

Just... a player who did his best until the end, a player who truly loved baseball, a player who genuinely loved his fans. If you remember me only in that way, I will be more than happy with that alone. My greatest pride in my baseball career was not championships, records, or trophies. It is that I was loved by all of you. I was truly happy. I am truly grateful.

And finally... Every time "The Final Countdown" played, I always prepared to start anew. But today, the final countdown of my baseball career has come to an end. Yet I know this: every ending is also a new beginning. I was truly happy. And I am truly grateful.

"Now, player Hwang Jae-kyun is stepping down... but I am going to start the first chapter of a new life in mine. 'My baseball career has ended, but my story is not yet over.'"

Thank you very much. This was Hwang Jae-kyun.

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*This content was translated by AI.