Day: December 16, 2023

SEOUL, After playing the hero for the Kiwoom Heroes for seven seasons in his native South Korea, outfielder Lee Jung-hoo is going to be a Giant in San Francisco.

Lee was officially introduced as the newest member of the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Friday (local time). His first press conference came one day after the Giants announced their six-year, $113 million contract with the 25-year-old outfielder. It’s the largest contract awarded to a Korean player moving from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) to Major League Baseball (MLB) via posting, dwarfing a six-year, $36 million contract that pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012.

“I am here to win and will always do my best for teammates and fans. Let’s go Giants!” Lee said, reading from a prepared statement in English.

Later asked what drew him to the Giants, Lee said, “This is a historic organization with so many legends in the Hall of Fame. They’ve won a lot of championships in recent years. I am honored to have a chance to play for a team with such a rich history.”

Lee has been one of the top players in the KBO since capturing the league’s Rookie of the Year award in 2017. The two-time batting champion owns a lifetime .340 batting average, the highest mark among all KBO players with at least 3,000 plate appearances. He was voted the most valuable player (MVP) in the 2022 regular season after leading the KBO in batting average, RBIs, hits, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Lee is the son of KBO legend Lee Jong-beom, the 1994 MVP who is widely considered one of the most complete players in league history.

The scoreboard at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, shows the club’s new South Korean outfielder Lee Jung-hoo on Dec. 15, 2023.

The Giants will count on Lee to address their need for a competent center fielder who can contribute on both ends. They had 11 different players appear in center field in 2023 and collectively, they were among the worst in MLB in key offensive categories and defensive metrics.

Farhan Zaidi, the president of baseball operations for the Giants also attending the presser, said the plan was to have Lee “play Opening Day and every day in center field.”

“Our goals were to get more athletic as a team from an offensive standpoint, to make more contact, to play the kind of baseball where the industry seems to be trending toward,” Zaidi said. “Honestly, as we looked at our options this offseason, there was no target who was more of a perfect fit for what we were hoping to achieve than Jung-hoo.”

Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants speaks during his introductory press conference at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Dec. 15, 2023, in this photo captured from the Giants’ X page. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)

Lee has long been known for his bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline. Lee has drawn 383 walks and struck out just 304 times across 3,947 plate appearances in 884 games, and has a career on-base percentage of .407.

He played all three outfield positions in his KBO career but was the Heroes’ primary center fielder from 2021 to 2023. Though he is not a burner like his father was — the senior Lee swiped 84 bags in 1994 and that total remains the KBO single season record — the son has displayed good athleticism and instincts on the field.

Pressed for any statistical goals for 2024, Lee said making adjustments to new surroundings as quickly as possible was his top priority.

“I will do my best each and every day,” he said. “The most important thing is for the team to win.”

Lee will earn $7 million in 2024, $16 million in 2025, $22 million in 2026, $22 million in 2027, $20.5 million in 2028 and $20.5 million in 2029. He can opt out of the deal after the 2027 season and become a free agent at age 29.

He will also receive a $5 million signing bonus. He has agreed to make a charitable contribution to the Giants Community Fund, with donations of $60,000 in 2024, $80,000 in 2025, $110,000 in 2026 and 2027, and $102,500 in 2028 and 2029.

Lee will wear the same No. 51 that he had in the KBO.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, A reactor in South Korea’s nuclear power complex in the southwestern county of Yeonggwang resumed operation on Saturday after 10 months of maintenance, the state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. said.

The 1,000 MW Hanbit No. 5 reactor will gradually increase its full capacity on Monday, the company said. Its operation had halted due to maintenance work since Feb. 14 this year.

The company said that the resumption came after it ensured the safety of the reactor through safety checks and a verification process by an overseas expert agency.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

GOYANG, South Korea, An annual badminton tournament for multicultural families, hosted by Yonhap News Agency, South Korea’s key newswire, was held Saturday to strengthen ties and facilitate communication among the families through the sport.

The 2023 National Multicultural Family Badminton Tournament took place at Goyang Gym in the city of Goyang, just north of Seoul, involving some 500 players and their families across the country. This year’s tournament was also co-hosted with the Goyang City Sports Council.

This photo, taken Dec. 16, 2023, shows players taking part in the 2023 National Multicultural Family Badminton Tournament at Goyang Gym in the city of Goyang, just north of Seoul.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Goyang city government, the Korean Institute for Healthy Family and Yonhap News TV sponsored the event.

Yonhap has hosted the event since 2010 to promote harmony among families of diverse national and cultural backgrounds in an increasingly diversifying society.

“The tournament has been held every year without a hiatus even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the participants’ passion,” Seong Ghi-hong, CEO and president of Yonhap News Agency, said in his congratulatory speech.

“I hope that this year all the players will be able to strut their skills without getting hurt and their families will have good memories,” he said.

Gender Equality Minister Kim Hyun-sook said in a welcoming speech read by a senior ministry official that the government will set up various policies to help multicultural families grow and live in a harmonious society.

Four-time Olympic pistol shooting champion Jin Jong-oh, co-president of the organizing committee for the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics, said if people share their favorite exercise as a hobby, they can form a bond beyond language barriers.

“Badminton is a sport that anyone can enjoy anytime and anywhere if they have rackets and a shuttlecock. It is the best sport showing elite sports and sports for all can go in tandem,” Jin said in a congratulatory message.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, Lotte Fine Chemical Co. said Saturday it has imported 5,500 tons of urea for vehicles from Vietnam, a move expected to help ease concerns over urea supplies following China’s export suspension.

The amount is the largest with regard to an inbound shipment, since China suspended customs procedures for urea shipments to South Korea early this month. China is the world’s largest producer of urea.

Lotte Fine Chemical, which supplies half of South Korea’s urea demand for industrial use, said 5,500 tons of urea is an amount sufficient to produce around 15.5 million liters of urea solution for diesel cars to be used for a month.

The company said the shipment arrived in Ulsan, 299 kilometers southeast of Seoul, earlier in the day, and will use it to produce urea solution, a key fluid needed in diesel vehicles to cut emissions.

Seoul officials said China seems to have suspended urea exports due to tight supplies for its domestic use, though it was not a formal export curb.

China’s latest move raised concerns over another supply chain crisis as South Korea suffered a major supply crunch of urea in 2021 following Beijing’s export restrictions.

The government said it has secured more than six months of inventory of urea and will start to release state reserves of urea for diesel cars next week.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, South Korea was gripped by a cold wave and heavy snow Saturday, with lower temperatures and more snow expected over the weekend, the state weather agency said.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) issued heavy snow warnings for the country’s central and western areas. As of 10 a.m., the interior ministry had upgraded its snow alert level to “caution” from “interest.”

Holding an umbrella, a person walk on a street in Jeonju, 192 kilometers south of Seoul, on Dec. 16, 2023, when heavy snow fell on five cities and counties in North Jeolla Province.

As of 7 p.m., the southwestern city of Gwangju and Jangseong County in South Jeolla Province had received 7.94 cementers and 4.54 cm of snow, respectively.

More than 20 cm of snow is expected to fall in North Jeolla Province until Sunday. Gwangju and southwestern parts of South Jeolla Province are forecast to receive more than 15 cm of snow, according to the KMA.

The weather agency said 1-3 cm of snow is expected in Seoul, Incheon, west of the capital, and the southern island of Jeju.

A cold wave advisory also took effect in areas including Seoul, Busan, Daejeon and Daegu at 9 p.m. Saturday.

The advisory is issued when the morning low comes below minus 12 C for more than two consecutive days or when the temperature drops more than 10 C to below minus 3 C.

Heavy snow and the cold wave caused passenger ship and flight cancellations across the nation, according to the government.

As of 6 p.m., 107 passenger liners on 85 routes and 14 flights had been cancelled, according to the central government’s Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

Public access to 247 sites at 13 national parks, including ones in Mount Mudeung and Mount Jiri, were restricted.

Snow froze on roads, causing car accidents in some regions.

At around 7:47 a.m., five vehicles rear-ended near and another four cars were in similar pile-up accident near the Sangnam 6 Tunnel along the Seoul-Yangyang Expressway. Seven people were said to have suffered mild and serious injuries.

At around 3:30 p.m. 15 vehicles rear-ended on a road in Anseong, 64 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

Strong winds and the cold wave caused power blackouts in an apartment complex in Uijeongbu, 22 km northeast of Seoul, and a movie theater in Cheongju, 112 km southeast of Seoul.

The KMA said the temperature is likely to further drop on Sunday, with morning lows reaching between minus 4 and 17 C across the country. Morning lows were expected to be minus 12 C in Seoul, minus 16 C in the border city of Paju and minus 17 C in Cheorwon County of Gangwon Province.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, Police are tracking down the person behind graffiti spanning some 44 meters sprayed on the walls of Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, officials said Saturday.

The suspect repeatedly sprayed the phrase “free movie” in Korean, in red and blue paint, on both sides of the western gate to the palace and palace walls near the National Palace Museum of Korea at around 1:50 a.m., according to officials.

A phrase that reads “free movie” in Korean is sprayed in red on the walls of Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul on Dec. 16, 2023.

Also sprayed were the names of illegal video-sharing and streaming platforms, with similar graffiti also found on the walls of the nearby Seoul Metropolitan Agency.

The damage incurred by the apparent vandalism on the two parts of the palace walls measures more than 44 meters in length and between 2 and 2.4 meters in height, according to officials.

Upon receiving a report at 2:20 a.m., police started analyzing CCTV footage and reviewing whether they can hold the suspect accountable for violating the Cultural Protection Heritage Act, according to officials.

Phrases that read “free movie” in Korean are sprayed in red and blue on both sides of the western gate to Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul in this photo provided by the Cultural Heritage Administration on Dec. 16, 2023. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)

The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), which preserves cultural assets, said it will swiftly launch a probe and restore the damage.

The agency has temporarily covered up the graffiti and plans to dispatch preservation specialists to the scene to clean and restore affected parts.

CHA said it is closely cooperating with police and plans to install more CCTV cameras in the area to better preserve and manage the walls of the Joseon-era (1392-1910) palace.

Gyeongbok Palace is a state-designated historic site, with the affected gate and the walls all recognized as cultural heritage.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, As South Korean outfielder Lee Jung-hoo was being introduced as the newest member of the San Francisco Giants, his father Lee Jong-beom, one of the greatest players in South Korean baseball history, was thrust into the spotlight.

The proud dad watched from the first row as his 25-year-old son held his introductory press conference at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Friday (local time). The junior Lee signed a six-year, US$113 million contract with the Giants this week, one year after winning the regular season most valuable player (MVP) award for the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

The senior Lee also won an MVP award in 1994 for the Haitai Tigers, after batting .393 with 19 home runs, 77 RBIs and 84 steals. The Lees are the first father-son duo to have won MVP awards in the KBO.

That steals total remains the single season record in the KBO. Lee owns three of the 10 highest steals totals in league history, having swiped 73 bags in 1993 and 64 in 1997.

Lee was nicknamed “Son of the Wind” for his speed, and that naturally made his son the “Grandson of the Wind.” Lee Jung-hoo, though, isn’t close to being the burner that his old man was in the 1990s. The junior Lee has never stolen more than 13 bases in a season.

“My dad was really fast,” Jung-hoo said. “If we were to race each other at the same age, I would never beat him.”

In this EPA photo, Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants walks up the dugout steps at Oracle Park in San Francisco after his introductory press conference on Dec. 15, 2023.

As for his moniker, he said, “Because my dad was the Son of the Wind, I was the Grandson of the Wind from birth. I think it sounded a little cheesy and corny in Korean, but it sounds cool in English.”

Lee Jong-beom was seen as a complete package at the peak of his powers, someone who could hit for high average and power while also stealing bases and playing strong defense.

Asked what he’d learned from such a legendary father, Jung-hoo cracked, “I learned nothing from him baseball-wise.”

After drawing laughter from a throng of reporters, Lee turned more serious and said, “From my father, I learned about character and about ways to grow up as a good person. I also learned how to behave when you’re playing well.”

In a scrum with South Korean reporters after the presser, Lee Jong-beom said he believed his son has what it takes to thrive in the majors.

“Just being able to play for a team like this will be a great opportunity for Jung-hoo. He is young and full of energy. I think he’s going to do well,” the father said. “During spring training, he will have to figure out what he has to do.”

Lee said the most important trait moving into a new environment was to be fearless. He was speaking from experience, having played in Japan from 1998 to 2001.

“I’d like to tell him that it’s important not to hang your head even if you fail,” Lee said. “When I was Jung-hoo’s age, I didn’t have fears. I am sure Jung-hoo is the same way. If he plays the way he’s capable of playing, he will have good results.”

He also called on his son to take a long view on his major league career.

“Since he signed a long-term deal, he should use the first season trying to make adjustments,” Lee said. “He will need to reach out to his teammates and have some sense of humor, too.”

Source: Yonhap News Agency

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 — South Korea and the United States agreed Friday to complete the establishment of guidelines on the planning and operation of a shared nuclear strategy by the middle of next year, a Seoul official said, as the allies held key deterrence talks on countering growing North Korean threats.

Seoul’s Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo made the remarks after he and Maher Bitar, the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) coordinator for intelligence and defense policy, led the second session of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) at the Pentagon.

“(The two sides) agreed to complete guidelines regarding the planning and operation of a nuclear strategy by the middle of next year,” Kim told reporters. “In other words, (we) agreed to complete the overall guidelines on how to deter and respond to North Korean threats next year.”

Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo speaks during a meeting with reporters at the South Korean Embassy in Washington on Dec. 15, 2023.

Kim said that the guidelines will encompass a whole range of issues concerning the sharing of sensitive nuclear information, the establishment of a relevant security system, the formulation of consultation procedures for nuclear crisis as well as the operation of a real-time leader-level communication channel.

The guidelines will also delineate concrete plans for crisis management and risk reduction, he said.

“At the second NCG session today, (the two sides) approved a work plan for the next six months, and through the NCG, South Korea and the U.S. will move toward a unitary South Korea-U.S. extended deterrence system,” he said.

“While strongly deterring North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, (the allies) will be able to take an immediate, overwhelming and decisive response measure in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack,” he added.

Based on the work plan, the two countries plan to build a fleshed-out nuclear extended deterrence system around June next year, he said.

Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally. Through the NCG, the two sides have been seeking to leverage South Korea’s conventional military assets to support America’s nuclear operations in pursuit of an integrated deterrence formula.

Following the inaugural meeting in July, the second NCG session proceeded amid tensions heightened by Pyongyang’s launch of a military reconnaissance satellite last month and the possibility of the regime launching another intercontinental ballistic missile this month.

The second session of the South Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group is in progress at the Pentagon near Washington on Dec. 15, 2023, in this photo released by South Korea’s government delegation. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)

The participants also agreed on a plan to incorporate scenarios of nuclear operations in next year’s allied military exercises, including the summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield, according to a Seoul official who requested anonymity.

Work is also under way to build a mobile system to enable immediate communication between the leaders of the two countries in case of a crisis, the official said.

“We have been building a system to enable the leaders of the two countries to phone each other immediately and make their decision, and to both presidents, a mobile device for frequent communication has already been delivered in case a problem flares up,” he said.

But more work needs to be done to protect the leader-level phone communication from a potential electromagnetic attack or other security issues, he added.

At this week’s NCG meeting, the U.S. also agreed to provide “in-depth” nuclear education to South Korean officials next year, Kim said. In October, 15 South Korean officials received education on the U.S.’ nuclear policy, strategy and planning.

“To put it simply, our side’s nuclear ‘IQ’ will continue to grow,” he said.

After the meeting, the two sides issued a press statement, which reaffirmed that any North Korean nuclear attack against the U.S. and its allies is “unacceptable” and will result in the “end of the Kim regime.”

The two sides agreed to hold the third NCG meeting in South Korea in summer next year, according to the statement.

The latest NCG session lasted for over seven hours and was attended by some 60 security, military and diplomatic officials from the two sides, including those from the U.S. Forces Korea, the U.S. Strategic Command and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

The NCG was established under the Washington Declaration that President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden adopted during their summit in Washington in April as part of efforts to enhance the credibility of extended deterrence.

The inaugural session was held in Seoul in July, led by Kim and U.S. NSC Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell and NSC Coordinator for Defense Policy and Arms Control Cara Abercrombie.

Source: Yonhap News Agency