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Wiz sign Korean Series MVP Kim Hyun-soo to three-year deal

Published: 25 Nov. 2025, 20:11

KT Wiz outfielder Kim Hyun-soo poses at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi, after signing a free agent deal with the club on Nov. 25. [YONHAP]

Reigning Korean Series MVP Kim Hyun-soo switched clubs Tuesday, signing with the KT Wiz as a free agent following eight seasons with the LG Twins.

The Wiz announced they signed the 37-year-old veteran to a three-year deal worth 5 billion won ($3.4 million). All of that money will be guaranteed — with 3 billion won as a signing bonus up front and a total salary of 2 billion won over the duration of the contract.

One of the most accomplished hitters in KBO history, Kim is third on the all-time list with 2,532 hits and 1,522 RBIs, second with 471 doubles, sixth with 2,221 games played and seventh with 1,256 runs scored. With a lifetime batting average of .312, Kim is 11th in career rankings among players with at least 3,000 plate appearances.

Kim made his KBO debut with the Doosan Bears in 2006 and played for them until 2015. He signed with the Baltimore Orioles ahead of the 2016 season and was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in July 2017.

Kim signed with the Twins to mark his KBO return before the 2018 campaign. He won his second career batting title in 2018 and helped the Twins win Korean Series championships in 2023 and 2025.

During this year's title run, Kim batted .525 (9-for-17) with a home run, eight RBIs and five walks to earn the MVP honor, as the Twins knocked off the Hanwha Eagles in five games.

He has remained a productive workhorse well into his 30s. Over the past eight seasons, covering his age-30 to age-37 campaigns, the durable Kim appeared in a KBO-best 1,090 games, and his 1,238 hits in that stretch are the second-most in the league.

LG Twins outfielder Kim Hyun-soo celebrates during Game 5 of the Korean Series at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon on Oct. 31. [YONHAP]

“Kim Hyun-soo is one of the best hitters in the league and we signed him to bolster our lineup,” Wiz general manager Na Do-hyun said. “He is an exemplary veteran and we expect him to be our leader.”

Na added that the team is counting on Kim to put up better numbers at hitter-friendly KT Wiz Park than at the Twins' home of Jamsil Baseball Stadium, a notoriously difficult place for hitters.

In 2025, the Wiz missed the postseason for the first time since 2019. They ranked ninth — second from last — with a .253 team batting average.

Kim thanked the Wiz for recognizing his value, and apologized to both the Wiz and the Twins for the prolonged negotiations.
“I will try to lead by example on and off the field,” Kim said. “I will do my absolute best to help the team find success.”

The Wiz finally made their presence felt in free agency, after striking out on two other All-Star players this month.

They pursued former Kia Tigers shortstop Park Chan-ho, a two-time KBO Fielding Award winner, before he signed with the Bears for 8 billion won over four years. Center fielder Park Hae-min, the reigning steals king and two-time Fielding Award recipient, took less money than what the Wiz offered to stay put with the Twins with a four-year deal worth 6.5 billion won.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
Yonhap