The salary offered by SSG to Kim Kang-min has been revealed, and fans are outraged.
According to Sports Chosun on the 29th, SSG Landers was talking to Kim Kang-min about his retirement plan after the season and brought up the topic of a ‘minimum salary of 30 million won’ for the next season.
In 2023, Kim Kang-min’s annual salary was 160 million won.
According to the media, Kim felt unhappy with the club’s salary offer.
According to the media, Kim Kang-min was disappointed with the club’s salary offer.
The club explained that the salary cap (the total amount of money a player can earn) was full, and the minimum salary was based on retirement.
They only told Kim Kang-min that he could receive the minimum salary after he announced his intention to retire, and that the salary itself didn’t mean much to a player with retirement plans.
The media outlet also explained that SSG had prepared a grand retirement plan in lieu of a salary. Things like coaching training and permanent absences were finalized.
However, all these discussions became moot. Kim Kang-min has left SSG.
On April 22, the 2023 KBO Secondary Draft was held at a hotel in Seocho-gu, Seoul. The secondary draft was revived after a four-year hiatus in 2019.
The draft was held for players who were removed from the 35-man protected list after the regular season ended, and Hanwha selected SSG’s Kim Kang-min.
SSG did not place Kim on the protected list. They didn’t even mark him as a retired player.
Kim was selected by SK in the 2001 draft and never left the team. He was the longest-serving one-club man in KBO history, playing with Incheon for more than two decades, experiencing championships from his 20s to his 40s.
He was born in 1982 and is 41 years old, so his sudden departure came as a shock to fans as he is nearing retirement.
On the 24th, Kim visited the Hanwha club office to announce his intention to extend his playing career. Kim was placed on Hanwha’s reserve list.
Hanwha said it would honor Kim’s salary for next season.
On May 25, SSG demoted Kim Sung-yong to the head of the R&D center, holding him responsible for the controversy over the manager and coach hiring and the secondary draft process. Kim submitted his resignation.
Netizens reacted by saying, “He doesn’t have the least bit of courtesy,” “No matter what, what’s the minimum salary… He’s not really another player,” and “If he’s treated like that, won’t it demoralize the team?” “Everyone has to retire at some point.
Fans continue to criticize SSG. Fans began their protest by sending condolence wreaths to the SSG Landers Field in Incheon.
The wreaths read, “Rest in peace, Incheon baseball,” and other messages. 토토
