Kim Seo-hyeon (19, Hanwha Eagles, photo), a rookie pitcher in professional baseball, has suffered the weight of ‘famous’ recently. A few lines of gossip he wrote to his acquaintances, and a ‘Like’ he clicked without much thought became a huge ripple and came back to the player himself.
Kim Seo-hyun is a top-class prospect who received the largest deposit (500 million won) among rookie players who joined the pro this year. He threw a fastball that reached 160 km per hour and was nominated by Hanwha as the first overall pick in the rookie draft. He also joined the Hanwha 1st team spring camp, which started in Mesa, Arizona, USA on the 1st. In his first bullpen pitching, he easily hit 151 km/h.
Kim Seo-hyun was excluded from training for three days from the 7th. It is because he posted a post criticizing some coaches and fans on a private social media (SNS) account that only a few acquaintances can see, and was disciplined by the club itself. An official from Hanwha said, “After discovering that the post about a private sub-account was spread on the Internet, we went through a process to confirm that the account was Kim Seo-hyun’s own account. He explained that the player admitted that he had written it, and was placed on probation and temporarily excluded from training.”
The reason the club stopped short of disciplinary action was because it saw that the player did not intend to ‘publicly shoot’. Kim Seo-hyun considered the sub-account operated privately as a ‘private space’ and poured out her emotions without filtering. However, a third 스포츠토토party obtained the captured copy from one of the followers and released it on the Internet. Some fans, who were already curious about the newcomer who was receiving attention, suddenly started raising their voices of criticism. Even before his professional debut, Seohyun Kim was labeled a ‘cheeky rookie’ for being dissatisfied with his coach’s instructions.
Hanwha coach Carlos Subero said, “I hope Kim Seo-hyun, who is still young, learns and realizes through this mistake. With such a desire, he consulted with the front desk and decided to punish him.” He emphasized, “There is no player greater than the team.” After leaving the private account, Kim Seo-hyun also said, “As a professional player, my thoughts and actions were careless. I will be careful about using SNS in the future.”
The ‘SNS incident’ that seemed to be over was once again on the cutting board of public opinion on the 9th. It’s because of one ‘heart (like)’ on Hanwha’s official Instagram account. On the first day of self-restraint at his dorm, Kim Seo-hyun accessed his public Instagram account and clicked ‘Like’ on the video of his motives in Seosan. Even after being excluded from training due to SNS problems, he left a clear footprint in the SNS world again.
Fans were outraged over and over again. Critical comments such as “Is it true that I am reflecting on myself” and “I don’t know if I am self-refusing or taking a break” continued. Surprised, Kim Seo-hyun hurriedly canceled the ‘Like’, but she had already spilled the water. Kim Seo-hyun, who became famous for being good at baseball, went through a harsh declaration ceremony half of her own will and half of others before she even threw her first ball in her professional career.
An official from Hanwha said, “We will impose a fine in accordance with internal regulations.” It was a decision considering the situation of Kim Seo-hyun, a rookie who has not yet received his first salary. It is highly likely that his fine will increase as he caused another controversy during his probation period. SNS activities are individual freedom, but ‘celebrity freedom’ always comes with heavy responsibility. This is a lesson that not only Kim Seo-hyun but many sports stars should keep in their hearts.