Dodgers' Kim Hye-seong apologizes for publicly dismissing man owed $82,000 by his father
Published: 23 Nov. 2025, 14:53
![Kim Hye-seong, a 26-year-old baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, answers questions from reporters at Incheon International Airport on Nov. 6. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/23/eb3d07f5-77be-4415-99a4-c9466e58a878.jpg)
Kim Hye-seong, a 26-year-old baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, answers questions from reporters at Incheon International Airport on Nov. 6. [NEWS1]
Kim Hye-seong, a 26-year-old player for the MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers, apologized for publicly dismissing a man known as Mr. Kim — the creditor of a long-standing debt owed by his father — during his interview with reporters at Incheon International Airport earlier this month.
“I sincerely apologize to everyone who was disappointed by my immature words and actions at the airport on Nov. 6 and by my attitude in the interview that followed,” Kim wrote on social media on Saturday.
“There is no excuse for how I behaved that day. I regret it deeply and continue to reflect on it,” he added. “I once again apologize to Mr. Kim, who was present at the scene; to the reporters who were there to cover the story; and to everyone who witnessed the incident.”
Upon returning to Korea at the end of the MLB season on Nov. 6, Kim was approached by a man who demanded that the baseball player's father pay his debt. When the man began protesting with a banner, Kim responded, “If someone can stop him, I’ll do the interview properly,” sparking controversy. The man’s banner read, “One bastard made it to the Dodgers while his father declared bankruptcy.”
Kim explained that his apology was late because he had believed that staying silent was the most sincere way to show remorse. “But I’ve come to realize that silence can be seen as a refusal to acknowledge my wrongdoing or an attempt to avoid responsibility,” he said.
![Mr. Kim, a creditor to baseball player Kim Hye-seong's father, appears at Incheon International Airport during Kim Hye-seong's interview with reporters on Nov. 6. [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/23/14917c28-35f0-46fd-bdca-89db0e9ee6fe.jpg)
Mr. Kim, a creditor to baseball player Kim Hye-seong's father, appears at Incheon International Airport during Kim Hye-seong's interview with reporters on Nov. 6. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
![Los Angeles Dodgers' Kim Hye-seong watches his two-run home run hit off Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryce Miller during the second inning of a baseball game in Seattle on Sept. 28. [AP/YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/23/8f94ab55-1846-4225-afe5-12703566e591.jpg)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Kim Hye-seong watches his two-run home run hit off Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryce Miller during the second inning of a baseball game in Seattle on Sept. 28. [AP/YONHAP]
According to Kim, the man began showing up at his high school and has since protested at stadiums and airports, holding signs with messages such as “Tell your father to repay Mr. Kim” — to the point that he is known among fans as “Mr. Kim of Gocheok.”
“When I [...] met him in person at Munhak Stadium in Incheon in 2019, I offered to repay the debt myself,” Kim said. “But he declined, saying he wasn’t trying to collect from me; he only wanted to inform my father of the situation. He continued his public protests after that.”
Kim added that he did what he could as a son, using his signing bonus and salary to support his family and help mitigate the damage caused by his father's debt.
“In that moment [at the airport], I failed to control my emotions and said things I should not have. I am deeply sorry and have no excuse,” Kim said. “I will take this experience as a lesson and work to become a better person.”
On Friday, SBS’s investigative program “Curious Story Y” (2009-) aired an interview with Mr. Kim, who said the baseball player’s father borrowed 120 million won ($82,000) in 2009 while operating an entertainment parlor. “It’s been 16 years,” he said. “Where do I go to recover the 16 years I’ve lost in my life?”
According to the broadcast, the man and Kim’s father reached an agreement through the show’s producers: The father will repay an additional 50 million won by Dec. 20 to settle the debt.
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.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)