Giants’ $113 Million Korean Star Signing Receives a Hero’s Welcome Upon Triumphant Home Return

San Francisco Giants’ shiny new signing Jung Ho Lee has the world in his hands. The Korean star has been in the news due to his big $113 million contract with the Bay Bombers. While the fans in the US are just discovering him, back home in South Korea, Ho Lee is a major star. He’s so popular that he could give K-Pop stars a run for their money!

The world recently saw his stardom during his home trip to South Korea. Now that he is a Giants player, his fans are in a huge celebratory mood. The fact that their star will finally make his name in the major leagues has made the fans go wild. As a result, when Ho-Lee landed at the airport, he was given a hero’s welcome by the press as well as his fandom.

Jung Ho Lee’s San Francisco Giants connection leads to celebrations

After surprising the world by signing with the Giants for a 6-year, $113 million contract, it was time for Jung Ho Lee to return home. When Lee exited the airport terminal, he witnessed a frantic crowd waiting for him. The moment they got a glimpse of their star, fans erupted. Hearing this, Lee stopped to pose for photographs and waved to the crowd. All of this was captured in a video shared by insider Jon Morosi.

Jung Ho Lee is a highly popular figure in South Korea. In a way, he is baseball royalty as he and his father Jong-beom Lee are the only father-son duo in KBO to be named MVPs. Unlike his father, Ho Lee has made the jump to the MLB, hoping to create a similar impact in the major leagues.

Apart from this, one of the biggest reasons for Jung Ho Lee’s popularity is his quirky personality. He showed some of it during his news conference with the Giants where he first started with the “Let’s go Giants” chant. Then he nicknamed himself “the grandson of wind” continuing his father’s lineage, who was called the “son of wind”. 

Read more: Meet the ‘Grandson of the Wind’ : A 25 YO South Korean Star Ready to Shake Up the MLB Free Agency Market

With extraordinary on-field contributions and such a personality, Ho Lee is ready to win the hearts of baseball fans in the US.

Jung Ho Lee’s quirky personality

Most of his fans in the South Korea contest that Ho Lee’s ability to joke around makes him a lovable star. It was evident during his introductory news conference. After wearing the Giants’ jersey and cap, he asked the reporters, “Handsome?” 

It’ll surely be interesting to see a player like him in the league. Korean players haven’t really had a very high impact on MLB till now. Yet his high potential makes him different. The Giants giving the biggest contract to an Asian-born hitter in their history sure attests to that fact.

Read more: Despite Giants’ $113 Million Investment, Korean Star Jung Hoo Lee Is Set for a Tough MLB Start