'Popular Uncle Who Became a Father' Asks Foreign Investor About Parenting Too... Choi Won-jun's Changed Baseball: "It Became an Opportunity to Become Slightly More Mature"

September 20, 2026 - 12:13

Choi Won-jun of the KT Wiz is adjusting to a new role this season, and it has nothing to do with his position in the lineup. The 29 year old outfielder became a father last month, and he says the experience has already shifted how he approaches the game.

On the 19th, Choi started as the leadoff hitter and center fielder in KT's home game against the Doosan Bears at Suwon KT Wiz Park in the 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League. He went 4 for 4 with one home run, a performance that stood out even on a night when his team needed every bit of offense it could get.

Speaking after the game, Choi described fatherhood as something that caught him off guard in the best way. He mentioned that a foreign investor he met recently asked him about parenting, a conversation that made him reflect on how much his priorities have changed. Baseball, he said, no longer feels like the only thing that defines him.

That perspective, he added, has made him slightly more mature. He is learning to separate a bad at bat from a bad day, and to leave the frustration of a loss at the ballpark instead of carrying it home. The numbers this season suggest the mental shift is helping rather than hurting him at the plate.

KT will need that steady presence as the season stretches on. For Choi, the challenge now is simple in theory but hard in practice: be a reliable hitter for his team, and a present father for his child.