"If he stays in Korea, it will be at least 10 billion won..." Kim Joo-won has grown so much that NC fans may really have to prepare for a "happy farewell"

[Financial News] Amid the jubilation of winning their fifth consecutive Asian Games title, NC Dinos fans are wearing pleased smiles tinged with a strange bitterness. Kim Joo-won (24), the team's pride and franchise star at shortstop, has outgrown the confines of the KBO League and developed too quickly into the national team's starting shortstop.
South Korea's national baseball team, managed by Ryu Ji-hyun, defeated Japan 3-1 in the final of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya at Toyohashi City Baseball Field on the 27th to win the gold medal. At the heart of this dazzling achievement was Kim Joo-won, who displayed an irreplaceable presence on both offense and defense.
Kim Joo-won's performance at this Aichi-Nagoya tournament was truly a class above the rest. Sharing the demanding leadoff role with Park Jun-soon of Doosan, he repeatedly reached base and opened up the offense. He went 8-for-18 with a .444 batting average at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Even Japan's left-handed starter Shin Higuchi, who had thoroughly tormented South Korea's lineup, was left shaking his head after the game, saying, "Kim Joo-won was the most difficult and toughest hitter to face."

Kim Joo-won's dominance in international tournaments is hardly a new development. Despite being just 24, it is difficult to find anyone on the current national team with more international experience than he has. He played a key role in South Korea's gold-medal run at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. At the World Baseball Classic held last spring, he played every game as South Korea's only starting shortstop and made a strong impression on MLB scouts.
The problem, if it can be called one, is that the better Kim Joo-won performs in the national colors, the faster the clock advances toward his eligibility for free agency or a move to MLB.
Kim Joo-won had already received a military-service exemption for winning gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games. He has since swept up the benefits of the Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC), WBSC Premier12, a WBC quarterfinal appearance and the gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. By fully making up for the registration days he lacked in his debut season through international-tournament credits, he became eligible to pursue an overseas move earlier than others. If he stays healthy, he could challenge for a place in MLB through the posting system as early as after the 2027 season. After the 2028 season, he would gain full free-agent eligibility and enter the market at age 26.


Given Kim Joo-won's ability and age, scouts believe he would be a premier asset in the KBO League, with a starting price of at least 10 billion won if he remains in Korea. His massive home run over the Monster Wall in a recent game against Hanwha, held in front of a large gathering of MLB scouts, was a clear example of his value.
The NC Dinos also have mixed feelings. The club is proud that its core player has developed into the national team's starting shortstop, but it may soon have to prepare for a massive bidding war and a possible farewell. Inside the club, a determined sentiment has emerged, half in jest and half in earnest: "We would be happy to send him to MLB in the United States for the sake of his dream. But we absolutely cannot stand by and watch another domestic club take him away."
At 24, this shortstop has shouldered the weight of the national-team jersey with overwhelming talent. Along with the gold medal shining in the Nagoya night sky, the behind-the-scenes battle among MLB scouts for Kim Joo-won and the NC Dinos' "happy countdown" are set to begin in just one year.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter