"33 Million Won → 180 Million" KT Ahn Hyun-min Shatters So Hyeong-jun's Record with 445% Salary Surge

[Financial News] Ahn Hyun-min of KT Wiz, who captured the KBO League Rookie of the Year Award last year, has spectacularly joined the ranks of seven-figure earners in Korean won by posting the highest salary increase in KT Corporation history.
KT Corporation officially announced on the 15th, "We have signed Ahn Hyun-min to a 2026 season salary contract worth 180 million won, up 147 million won from his previous 33 million won." This represents a 445.5% increase, a new club record that easily surpasses the previous high of 418.5% set by So Hyeong-jun in 2021.
Selected by KT in the second phase of the 2022 rookie draft in the fourth round, 38th overall, Ahn Hyun-min enlisted for active-duty military service immediately after joining and served for a year and six months as a military cook. After his discharge, he made his KBO first-team debut in the 2024 season, appearing in 16 games to get acclimated, and then fully unleashed his potential last year.
Last season, Ahn Hyun-min played in 112 games and emerged as one of the league’s premier hitters, posting a .334 batting average (second in the league), 22 home runs, 80 RBIs, and 72 runs scored. He led the league in on-base percentage at .448 and ranked third in slugging percentage at .570. Most notably, he recorded a Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 7.22, the highest among all position players, anchoring the team’s offense. On the strength of this performance, he earned both the KBO League Rookie of the Year Award and the KBO Golden Glove Award in the outfielder category after the season.
While Ahn Hyun-min powered the lineup, on the mound it was the balanced salary increases for new arrivals and existing pitchers that stood out. Pitcher Han Seung-hyuk, who joined KT as compensation for Free Agent (FA) Kang Baek-ho’s move to the Hanwha Eagles, signed for 300 million won, up 219.1% from his previous 94 million won, breaking into the seven-figure salary tier for the first time in his career.


Starting pitcher Oh Won-seok, who recorded double-digit wins for the first time in his professional career, agreed to a deal worth 230 million won, a 64.3% raise from 140 million won, while undisputed ace So Hyeong-jun signed for 330 million won, a 50% increase.
Reliever Lee Sang-dong, who served as a key setup man out of the bullpen, saw his salary jump 69.5% from 59 million won to 100 million won, entering the seven-figure bracket for the first time, and rookie Won Sang-hyun completed his contract at 70 million won, up 75% from 40 million won.
Meanwhile, KT has completed salary negotiations with all 64 players eligible for renewal through these contracts, wrapping up all administrative procedures needed to prepare for the upcoming season.

jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter