I paid the fine before I even received my first salary. Kim Seo-hyeon (Hanwha), a 19-year-old rookie pitcher who just graduated from high school, probably felt the fear of society properly. 스포츠토토

Kim Seo-hyun, who joined Hanwha with a down payment of 500 million won as the 1st overall newcomer nomination in the 2023 KBO, was hit by intensive fire from the first spring camp held in Arizona, USA. During the rookie training period in Seosan last month, a post containing abusive language about coaches and fans posted on his SNS sub-account spread to the baseball community on the 6th, causing controversy. The Hanwha club confirmed the facts, and it turned out that Kim Seo-hyun himself posted it.

According to the rules of the club, he was excluded from training for three days, excluding rest days, and even paid a fine. He brought great disappointment to the players and fans who trusted and supported him more than anything else. Prior to returning to training on the 11th (Korean time), Kim Seo-hyun stood in front of the athletes and reporters and bowed her head, apologizing. He said, “You expected a lot, but I’m sorry for disappointing you. I will make sure this never happens again. I am basic before being a baseball player, and I will try to become a more mature person than I am now. I’m really sorry” and asked for forgiveness.

Hanwha coach Carlos Subero said, “Anyone can make mistakes and make mistakes in life. No one makes mistakes. There is a difference between learning from that mistake and remaining as that person,” he said. “This cannot be Kim Seo-hyun’s last mistake. We have to watch and help them grow. Now that mistake is in the past. Let’s try ourselves and help others to become a better person,” he asked the players.

As coach Subero said, no one makes mistakes. Born in May 2004, Seohyun Kim is still only 18 years old. He was obviously wrong for posting a disrespectful post on social media. Coaches and fans who have been subjected to gossip cannot help but feel betrayed. However, it was leaked against Kim Seo-hyun’s will, and it did not mean school violence or committing a crime. It was not an anti-social or anti-human post. If so, it would have been released immediately like Kim Won-seok and Shin Dong-soo, who were exposed to indiscriminate criticism on social media in the past.

It was at the level of complaints and complaints that were made behind the scenes when I was immature. There is an old saying in our country, ‘In a place where there is no one, even the Lord curses at me’. Of course, as soon as the gossip is revealed, it is our social responsibility to deal with the aftermath. Criticism is unavoidable, but it seems that Kim Seo-hyun has already been branded as a ‘problem child’ because of one mistake.

As the days go by, the standards of morality required of celebrities are getting higher and the standards are getting stricter. Even rookie players who have just entered the pro are no exception. An era of zero defects that does not tolerate even the slightest mistake. It’s like having CCTV watching the players everywhere. Even if it’s stuffy like suffocation, you have to be careful and endure it again. You have to be more careful with each action.

It was concluded with an apology, but we should use this controversy as an opportunity to examine the fundamental education system of Korean academy sports. Prior to Kim Seo-hyun, Shin Dong-soo, who was released from Samsung in 2020 due to SNS controversy, was also a rookie. After joining the pros, new players receive several training sessions from the club and KBO, but it is difficult to expect a great effect right away.

Rookies are, after all, players who have grown up in the amateur system. A person’s personality and self are formed at an early age. He has a great innate nature, but the influence of home and school education is absolute. It is not necessary to raise a player who is good only at baseball from his middle and high school days, but as a person with the right character, continuous character education and guidance are needed at school.

It is more important than anything else for coaches and coaches to teach student athletes to establish sound values. Furthermore, it is necessary to change the climate of Korean academy sports, which are only focused on grades, little by little. At the association level, research and efforts to improve the evaluation system of amateur baseball, strengthen character education, and prevent recurrence are essential. If we leave things alone like this, there is no choice but to come out with a controversial newcomer like Kim Seo-hyun.