“A 2.6 billion won price tag, paid in full with a championship”... 43-year-old Choi Hyoung-woo’s spine-tingling promise: He put a ring on Kang Min-ho’s finger

\ \ [Financial News] 2.6 billion won. That is the amount the Samsung Lions invested last winter in veteran Choi Hyoung-woo, then 43 and well past 40. And on November 8, 2026, the value of that 2.6 billion won was proven in the most complete and definitive way possible: a Korean Series championship, Samsung’s first in 12 years.
Samsung routed kt wiz 12-1 in Game 5 of the Korean Series at Daegu Samsung Lions Park that day, winning the series 4-1 and returning to the top for the first time in 12 years, since 2014. At the heart of it was 43-year-old hitter Choi Hyoung-woo, who achieved in just one year the goal he had set when he returned to his former team last winter.
Even more dramatically, he kept the promise he had made to his close friend of the same age, Kang Min-ho. “Min-ho, I’ll put a ring on your finger.” The weighty promise, which could have sounded like a joke, finally became reality beneath the autumn skies over Daegu.




Not everyone viewed Choi Hyoung-woo’s return to his former team last winter through rose-colored glasses. Born in 1983, he was 43—a figure that gave people ample reason to suspect a decline in his abilities. But Choi proved his value through the numbers, beyond any doubt.
\ \ He appeared in 137 regular-season games, batting .301 (148 hits in 491 at-bats) with 18 home runs, 106 RBIs and a .849 OPS, reaching the 100-RBI mark again after turning 40.
His true value shone even brighter on the autumn stage. He battered his former team, KIA, in the playoffs, hitting .385 (5-for-13) with two home runs and four RBIs. In particular, his game-winning hit in the decisive fifth game helped send his former team to the Korean Series. He kept up his hot hitting against kt wiz in the Korean Series, batting .357 (5-for-14) with two RBIs.
Of course, 2.6 billion won was the maximum total value of his two-year contract. But from a baseball perspective, it is no overstatement to say that in his first year back, he perfectly demonstrated the experience and clutch ability Samsung had hoped for, paying off the full contract value in one lump sum—with a championship.


The moment that further underscored Choi Hyoung-woo’s value in this championship involved not his bat, but his “glove.” Ahead of the postseason, Samsung suffered a major blow when captain Koo Ja-wook injured his hamstring. For manager Park Jin-man to use Koo as the designated hitter, Choi—who normally served as the designated hitter—had to return to the field.
At 43, Choi Hyoung-woo willingly put on the left-field glove for the sake of his team. That decision became a solid foundation for the championship.
\ \ Koo Ja-wook focused on hitting and won the series MVP, while Choi Hyoung-woo quietly handled both the heart of the batting order and outfield defense. Right after the championship, he joked, “My hips, back and even my neck all hurt—I may have to check into a rehab center.” Thanks to his dedication, the Lions were able to put the most important piece of the puzzle in place.


The promise of the 43-year-old veteran to put a championship ring on Kang Min-ho’s finger.
\ \ Choi Hyoung-woo already had six rings from Samsung’s four straight championships from 2011 to 2014 and two titles with KIA (2017 and 2024). In his first year back with Samsung, he claimed a seventh ring. At the same time, he put the long-awaited first championship ring on the hand of Kang Min-ho, now in his 23rd year as a professional. The anecdote that Yang Eui-ji of the Doosan Bears once told Kang Min-ho, “Don’t worry; that team has Geum-dwaeji (Golden Pig, Choi Hyoung-woo),” speaks to just how powerful Choi’s championship DNA is.
When Choi Hyoung-woo gave himself 100 points for the first time and joked, “Write the article up more strongly so I can get a bigger bonus,” his words carried a pride that was anything but lighthearted.
Choi Hyoung-woo was at the heart of Samsung’s last championship in 2014, too, as the cleanup hitter. And in the joy of a title win 12 years later, the 43-year-old Choi stood tall once again.
\ \ Over the span of 12 years, he bookended the glorious Samsung dynasty and will go down as the greatest championship-winning specialist in KBO League history.


[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter