Last year, Lee Joo-eun gained popularity for her so-called "Bikki Bikki" dance while working as a cheerleader for the Kia Tigers, a Korean professional baseball team. This year, following her move to a Taiwanese professional baseball team, it has been reported that she received a substantial signing bonus.
According to reports from local media, including Taiwan's TVBS, the Fubon Angels signed Lee Joo-eun with a signing bonus of 10 million Taiwanese dollars (about 440 million won). This amount is said to be significantly more than the average annual salary of Taiwanese professional baseball players.
The Fubon Angels, who signed Lee Joo-eun, noted, "We appreciate the interest and support for Lee Joo-eun," while adding, "The contract details cannot be disclosed according to the agreement between both parties."
Netizens criticizing the Fubon Angels commented, "Does this mean cheerleaders are more valuable than players?" and "Spending so much money on a cheerleader is like putting the cart before the horse." Conversely, some opinions stated, "This value is sufficient; we will see in the future," and, "Even if we lose in performance, we cannot lose in cheerleader competition."
Lee Joo-eun became a sensation last year with a viral video of her casually doing the "Bikki Bikki" dance while fixing her makeup. The video recorded tens of millions of views on social media and was highlighted by the New York Times.