'Broke the 1 billion won barrier after 21 years'... Kiwoom bets a record 1.6 billion won on Ha Hyeon-seung

[Financial News] A new record has been set for signing bonuses for Korean professional baseball rookies. Ha Hyeon-seung (Busan High School), an elite two-way prospect, has joined the Heroes after hitting the jackpot with a 1.6 billion won deal—the highest ever in KBO League history.
Kiwoom Heroes officially announced on the 7th that it had signed Ha Hyeon-seung, its No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 KBO rookie draft, to a contract worth a 1.6 billion won signing bonus. The unprecedented deal surpasses by 600 million won the previous KBO League record for a rookie signing bonus, 1 billion won received by pitcher Han Ki-ju when he joined the KIA Tigers in 2006—a record that stood for 21 years.

Ha Hyeon-seung is a confident prospect who dominated the high school game with outstanding talent both on the mound and at the plate. He has a heavy fastball that can easily top 150 km/h, sharp breaking pitches that throw batters off balance, and the home-run power that impressed professional scouts. He was hailed early on as “Korea’s Shohei Ohtani.” At this year’s U-18 Asian Baseball Championship, he made three appearances, including in the final, and earned three wins to lead Korea to the title, proving his competitiveness on the international stage as well.
Having displayed a polished skill set from an early age, he also received an attractive offer from an MLB club worth close to 4 billion won ahead of this year’s draft. But after much deliberation, he decided to begin his professional career in the KBO League rather than head overseas straight away. Kiwoom’s distinctive, systematic player-development program—having produced prominent major leaguers such as Kang Jung-ho, Kim Ha-seong and Jung-hoo Lee in succession—is said to have played a decisive role in turning him toward staying in Korea.

Kiwoom highly valued Ha Hyeon-seung’s immense potential and exceptional ability, as well as his firm resolve to pursue his career in Korea after turning down MLB’s overtures, and set the record-high signing bonus without hesitation.
Ha Hyeon-seung, now a 1.6-billion-won man, said of joining the team, “I sincerely thank the club for valuing me so highly and giving me such a good deal. It’s only now sinking in that I’ve become part of the team I’ve always wanted to join.”
He added with determination, “The Heroes have many excellent senior players who have made it to the major leagues, so I’ll learn a lot from them and grow. I’ll prepare thoroughly so I can greet the fans with a good showing on the field next season.”
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter