"2 Billion Won Investment Scam... Now Renting" Former Baseball Player Choi Joon-suk’s Life After a 3.5 Billion Won Contract Revealed

[Financial News] Former professional baseball player Choi Joon-suk revealed that he was the victim of a building investment scam worth over 2 billion won and is now living in a rented home. He explained that he was deceived by a close acquaintance he had considered family for over a decade, and is currently working to pay off the resulting debt.
According to the broadcast of Boss in the Mirror on KBS 2TV on the 21st, Choi Joon-suk met with his baseball senior, Yang Joon-hyuk, and had a conversation.
Choi Joon-suk shared that he is running a baseball academy in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, works as a commentator during the baseball season, and also sells agricultural products.
When Yang Joon-hyuk’s wife asked, “Why are baseball players so interested in business after retirement?” Choi Joon-suk replied, “Since our salaries weren’t that high during our playing days, there’s a desire to earn more, and seeing successful business cases makes you think, ‘Maybe I should try it too.’”
He confessed, “I was scammed in a building investment by someone I was truly close to,” adding that the loss exceeded 2 billion won. Choi Joon-suk said, “We had been like family for over ten years, but I was deceived. When my acquaintance disappeared with the investment money, I couldn’t believe they would do that to me.”
Due to the scam, Choi Joon-suk said, “I secretly switched my previous lease to a monthly rental,” and added, “That’s how I ended up in debt.” He continued, “I’m still living in a rented home because I have to pay off my debts first.”
He mentioned that his wife had advised him against the investment at the time, expressing regret: “If I had stopped then, the damage wouldn’t have been so great.”
Choi Joon-suk also expressed both gratitude and guilt toward his wife. He explained, “Many people know her as Choi Joon-suk’s wife, but she has been trying to help by working part-time jobs and recently started working as a hospital coordinator.” He added, “We almost ended up in court, but my wife endured and supported me, and now we are working hard together.”
Choi Joon-suk had previously disclosed his experience as a scam victim on television. In 2013, as a Free Agent (FA), he signed a contract with the Lotte Giants worth a total of 3.5 billion won (including a 1.5 billion won signing bonus, 400 million won annual salary, and 400 million won in incentives over four years), and was approached by many people with investment proposals.

hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter