Hanwha Eagles infielder Ha Ju-seok and cheerleader Kim Yeon-jeong are set to marry this December, and some internet users have left malicious comments about Ha's past actions, drawing frowns. Many point out that it dampens the double celebration of the Hanwha Eagles' autumn baseball and the player's marriage.
Ha Ju-seok and Kim Yeon-jeong's marriage was unexpected news. On the 1st at Incheon SSG Landers Field, during the live broadcast of the 2025 KBO League game between the Hanwha Eagles and the SSG Landers, MBC commentator Jeong Min-cheol said when Ha came to the plate, "He has a wedding after the season."
This led to speculation on online communities that Ha's bride-to-be was Kim Yeon-jeong, and when it was reported that Ha had distributed wedding invitations, it was confirmed that Ha Ju-seok and Kim Yeon-jeong will marry this December.
Ha Ju-seok joined the Hanwha Eagles as the No. 1 overall pick in the first round of the 2012 rookie draft. He experienced ups and downs, including controversies such as drunk driving and bench-clearing incidents, but Ha, who served as the starting shortstop and captain, remained with the Hanwha Eagles after signing a free agent (FA) contract worth a total of 110 million won ahead of this season. In the latter half of this season he hit .314, helping the team advance to the postseason for the first time in seven years.
Kim Yeon-jeong, who debuted as a Ulsan Mobiis Fever cheerleader in 2007, was nicknamed "Gyeongseong University Jun Ji-hyun" for her resemblance to actress Jun Ji-hyun and gained attention as one of the "three goddesses of the ballpark" alongside Park Ki-ryang and Kang Yoon-yi. Standing 172 cm tall and resembling Jun Ji-hyun, Kim gained great popularity as a cheerleader and performed for the Hanwha Eagles (2009–2011), Lotte Giants (2012), and NC Dinos (2013–2016) before returning to the Hanwha Eagles as a cheerleader in 2017.
Many congratulations poured in because it was a meeting between Ha Ju-seok, who had served as captain, and Kim Yeon-jeong, who leads the cheerleaders, but some internet users raised issues about Ha's past behavior and left malicious comments that drew frowns.
While serving in the military with the Sangmu baseball team in August 2014, Ha Ju-seok was photographed smoking during a game and was criticized as behaving inappropriately for a soldier. In a 2022 game against the Lotte Giants, unhappy with an umpire's call, he lost his temper, threw his bat onto the ground, and was ejected; he also threw his helmet, showing an inability to control his emotions. In a Hanwha Eagles documentary, after striking out he could not contain his anger, broke a bat behind the dugout, and caused a disturbance.
Notably, on Nov. 19, 2022, at 5:50 a.m., he was caught driving his car after drinking in a location in Daejeon. His blood alcohol concentration was 0.078%, a level that warrants license suspension. Consequently, Ha received a 70-game suspension from the KBO.
Some internet users left comments on Kim Yeon-jeong's social media account such as "Marrying a drunk driver and a person with ruined character," "Marrying a player with that kind of character?" and derogatory remarks like "the cheerleader profession is being degraded," which drew frowns.
Meanwhile, the Hanwha Eagles, for whom Ha Ju-seok plays, secured second place this season and advanced to the postseason.
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