Padres’ Kim Ha Seong Sues Ex-Teammate for Blackmailing

Kim Ha-Seong (28, San Diego Padres), Padres’ star infielder, has sued his former teammate, who played in Korea. Mr. A has also come forward to refute the allegations.

According to the police on the 7th, Kim Ha-Seong recently filed a complaint against Mr. A for extortion at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul. Mr. A is a retired player of the Kiwoom Heroes, the professional baseball team Kim Ha-Seong played for in Korea.

Kim Ha-Seong claims that following a bar fight with Mr. A in Gangnam, Seoul, two years ago, Mr. A demanded a settlement payment from him. Even after handing over the settlement money, Mr. A has continuously demanded money, according to Kim’s side.

In a statement to NHN Sports, representatives for Kim clarified, “The incident involving player Kim Ha-Seong was not a one-sided assault, but rather a scuffle.” They further explained, “However, considering his impending move to the U.S., he chose not to escalate the issue and agreed to a settlement payment.”

On the same day, MBN reported a rebuttal from Mr. A’s legal representative, who contested the earlier statement. The representative asserted that Kim Ha-Seong was solely responsible for assaulting Mr. A. Additionally, he alleged, “In 2021, Kim Ha-Seong initiated an unprovoked assault on Mr. A, and after moving to the Major League, Kim Ha-Seong continued to assault him while they cohabited in the U.S., with Mr. A acting as his road manager.”

Meanwhile, Kim Ha-seong made his professional debut in 2014 and played for the Kiwoom Heroes until 2020. He then moved to the U.S. Major League in 2021, and this year, he achieved an impressive record with a batting average of 0.260, 18 home runs, 140 hits, and 60 RBIs. With this performance, he became the first Asian player to win the MLB Golden Glove.

By. Han Eun Soo