Kim Jae-hyun Signs Two Billion Won Deal With SK

Kim Jae-hyun, the star outfielder who played for LG for 11 years in the pro baseball league, signed a contract with SK.

As soon as Kim Jae-hyun was released to enter into negotiations with the other teams, which was the 21st, he signed a contract with SK`s Min Kyung-sam operating manager, who visited Kim`s private residence which is located in Chungdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, with the following contract conditions of 1.01 billion won for four years and an option of 260 million won of additional bonus upon his performance, which totaled 2.07 billion won. Kim`s annual salary for 2005 and 2006 is 230 million won respectively and 250 million won for 2007 and 300 million won for 2008.

In these views with Kim Jae-hyun being the first free agent to sign up this winter season, Kim commented, "I thank SK, for recognizing my abilities and value. I was impressed when the team official hurried to come back from the United States for the contract. I`m glad to enter the newly launched team with great reputation. I`ll exert myself to make this team an even better one."

On the prior 17th, Kim Jae-hyun received a four-year 2.2 billion won offer from LG, which outnumbered SK`s, but the option starting from 2007 that an extension of contract could be made only when the player played full in the batting numbers and notched a batting average over 0.28 the prior season hampered a successful contract with LG. Kim Jae-hyun made a judgment that LG’s option stood on the extension line with his memorandum of his pelvis injury and the discrimination in aftermath, which he wrote for two straight years.

In 1994, the year Kim Jae-hyun graduated Shin-Il high school and made his debut in the pros, joined the 20-home run, 20 stolen bases club and for five consecutive years from 2000 notched a batting average over 0.3 as he is referred to as a big hitting, fast footed batter.

Meanwhile, Samsung’s infielder Kim Han-soo (33), Kia’s outfielder Shim Jae-hak (32) and Han-ha pitcher Oh Bong-ok (36) extended their contracts with their team late night on the 20th.

Kim Han-soo signed a total four-year 2.8 billion won contract with a 1 billion won contract with annual salary of 0.4 billion won and an 0.2 billion won additional bonus as he put himself up in the third biggest deal after last years Lotte’s Jung Soo-geun

(4.06 billion won for six years) and LG’s Jin Pill-joong (3 billion won for four years).

Shim Jae-hak signed a total 1.8 billion won including 750 million won contract fee for three years, 300 million won of bonus option and 150 million won of minus option. Oh Bong-ok received 100 million won contract money and 100 million annual salary for two years, which summed up to 300 million won.

As a result, for this winter seasons FA market with 11 players only six players remained in the free agent list with Hyundai’s Shim Jung-soo, Park Jin-man, Kim Dong-soo, Samsung’s Lim Chang-yong, SK’s` Jo Won-woo and Lotte’s` Kim Tae-kyoon.

Hwan Soo Zang zangpabo@donga.com