"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise of winning the championship." KT's Choi Won-jun, who led the team to first place in the regular season with 208 hits, crumbled under a hand injury during the Korea Series: "Coldly speaking, we lost because we didn't perform well enough"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Choi Won-jun (29), who drove in 208 hits to lead the KT Wiz to first place in the regular season, ultimately bowed his head. Although he proved his worth in his first year after transferring as a free agent, he expressed deep regret at not being able to fulfill his role fully in the crucial Korea Series due to an unexpected injury.

On the 8th, KT suffered a heavy 1-12 defeat against the Samsung Lions in Game 5 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Korea Series (best-of-seven) at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. After winning Game 1, the team lost four consecutive games, finishing with a series record of one win and four losses to settle for second place.

Meeting with reporters after the game, Choi Won-jun said, "It is extremely frustrating. I am also sorry to the fans. Since our team finished first in the regular season, the fans likely had high expectations and traveled to support us away from home. But coldly speaking, we lost because our performance was not up to par, so I feel a great sense of apology."

In fact, this year was a season of turnaround for Choi Won-jun. After experiencing KIA Tigers' unified championship in 2024, he was traded to the NC Dinos in July following a slump last year. His final statistics for that season were a .242 batting average, six home runs, and 44 RBIs in 126 games.

However, KT extended a helping hand. Last November, they signed him to a four-year free agent contract worth up to 4.8 billion won. At the time, there were evaluations that it was an excessive investment for a player who had been struggling, but Choi Won-jun dispelled doubts with his performance.

In this year's regular season, he performed brilliantly in 140 games with a .356 batting average (208 hits in 585 at-bats), nine home runs, 74 RBIs, 125 runs scored, and 28 stolen bases, along with an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 0.919. He led the league with 41 doubles and runs scored, ranked second in hits, and third in batting average.

In particular, he recorded a .413 batting average, 57 hits, and 35 runs scored in 32 games from September to October, contributing decisively to KT's securing of first place in the regular season. He also became only the third player in KBO League history to reach the milestone of 200 hits in a single season.

His start in the Korea Series was also good. In Game 1, he recorded a hit and a stolen base from his first at-bat, contributing to an 8-7 victory. In Game 2, he drove in three hits in six at-bats, including a double in his first at-bat.

However, an unexpected injury struck during defense in Game 2. While attempting to handle a hit ball from Lewin Diaz, he collided with the right field fence and injured his left thumb. KT manager Lee Kang-cheol (60) explained before Game 3, "Won-jun's hand swelled up after hitting the fence. He says he can play, but it seems he won't be able to handle defense well." He added, "I am considering using him as a pinch hitter once when it is important."

Consequently, Choi Won-jun was excluded from the starting lineup in Game 3 and only handled one at-bat as a pinch hitter. From Game 4 onward, he returned to the lineup as the number one designated hitter to reduce defensive burden, but he failed to regain his hitting form.

After recording four hits in 10 at-bats in Games 1 and 2, Choi Won-jun went hitless in seven at-bats over the following three games. His final Korea Series statistics were a .235 batting average (four hits in 17 at-bats), two runs scored, one stolen base, and an OPS of 0.610 across five games.

Choi Won-jun said, "I don't want to make excuses, but I am greatly disappointed because of my hand injury. My hitting form was very good up until Games 1 and 2." He added, "There was definitely a role I could have played in defense as well. But I failed to fulfill that role," blaming himself.

It was his third Korea Series appearance. In his previous two attempts, he experienced championships as a member of KIA, but this time, as a key player for the team, he felt a different sense of responsibility. Choi Won-jun said, "When I first experienced the Korea Series, I was actually just a backup player watching from the sidelines. The second time, I was an ambiguous starter. But this year, as a core player, my sense of responsibility was greater." He continued, "I feel very disappointed because I don't think I fulfilled that level of responsibility."

Even though they achieved the franchise's best record with 90 wins in the regular season, it was difficult to easily accept the result of finishing as runners-up. He reflected, "At the start of the season, people around us evaluated us as being around fifth or sixth place. Still, together with good players, the coaching staff, and the manager, we achieved first place in the regular season and showed that we could do it." However, he added, "But in the end, didn't we finish second? That is why I am even more disappointed."

Finally, Choi Won-jun apologized to the fans again. He said, "I am very grateful and sorry. The fans are certainly angry, and for me personally, it was a very disappointing ending. It is an unavoidable fact that I was lacking and our team was lacking. I will prepare harder next year and do my best so that we can enjoy a wonderful appearance together with the fans at the end."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original