Sohn, Hyuk - Han, Hee-won Announced Marriage

Pro baseball team Doosan’s pitcher, Sohn Hyuk (30) and pro-golfer Han Hee-won(25·Fila Korea) are getting married on the coming Dec. 20, at Intercontinental Hotel in Samsung-dong, Seoul.

Han Hee-won wore a big smile when the future bridegroom gave her flowers after she threw the opening ball at the match between Doosan and Hyundai held at Jamsil Stadium on Sep. 14.

The couple said at the interview held after the game that, ˝we met each others parents during the Chusock holidays and set the wedding date.˝ They also added, ˝We are ready to tolerate some inconvenience of living separately for a while after the wedding to be faithful to our careers.˝ Sohn Hyuk also said ˝I will keep playing for a couple of more years and then go to the states to get a training in couching.˝

The two first met 8 years ago in 1995 when Korea University`s baseball team went to the Mount Sokri for field training. Han Hee-won`s father Han Young-kwan(55), who was a baseball player for Korea University and for Hanil Bank, had sent his daughter who was a national golf player and in her second year in the high school to the training.

From that time, Sohn Hyuk who was a senior at Korea University and Han Hee-won had very close relationship just like siblings.

It was the winter of the year 2001 when the two developed into lovers. Sohn Hyuk was in rehabilitation due to his shoulder injury and Hee-won was focusing on strengthening herself as she couldn`t win an award at her first play at the US LPGA. The two became closer while they worked out together at a rehab-specializing sports-center located in Songpa, Seoul, and since then, they have been going out for 2 years.

Han Hee-won is enjoying her best season, winning two victories this year and Sohn also successfully recovered after getting the shoulder operation in Aug last year. He got 4 victories, which is the best record in 4 years since winning 10 in 1999.

Han, Hee-won temporarily returned to Korea on Sep. 2 to play in Korea Women`s Open, and now she will go to San Diego on Sep. 17.

Chang Jeon jeon@donga.com