Recently, the news heating up the baseball world has been the successive marriage announcements of athletes and cheerleaders. Among them, former cheerleader Park Gi-ryang's candid remarks on a broadcast are receiving renewed attention.
Park Gi-ryang appeared on SBS "Dolsing Fourmen" in July and said, "I do not date players. I set and have kept a personal rule because there can be areas that cause mutual harm." She said it was her own rule she followed to become the top cheerleader and candidly conveyed that dating a player was considered taboo. Even at the height of her popularity in the 2010s, Park Gi-ryang revealed, "The meeting between cheerleaders and athletes is like an unwritten rule," and added, "It's hard to manage on social media; I have received confessions via mini home page notes, but I rejected them all."
But the recent string of marriage announcements shows that such unwritten rules are gradually being broken. On the 1st at Incheon SSG Landers Field during a 2025 KBO League game, MBC commentator Jung Min-chul mentioned, "Player Ha Joo-seok will hold a wedding after the season," revealing that his fiancée is Hanwha Eagles cheerleader Kim Yeon-jeong. The two plan to marry in December.
Ha Joo-seok joined the Hanwha Eagles in 2012 and served as the starting shortstop, batting .314 in the second half of this season and leading the team to its first postseason in seven years. Kim Yeon-jeong debuted in 2007 with Ulsan Mobiis Fever, gained great popularity being called "Kyungsung University Jeon Ji-hyun," and after time with Lotte and NC, she is currently a cheerleader for the Hanwha Eagles.
Also last month, KIA Tigers catcher Han Jun-soo announced his marriage to former LG Twins cheerleader Kim I-seo, attracting attention.
Online, reactions have continued such as, "The unwritten rule Park Gi-ryang talked about seems to be becoming a thing of the past," and "Over time, relationships between cheerleaders and players seem to be getting more natural." On the other hand, opinions like, "Still, aren't there lines that should be kept in the professional realm?" also coexist, showing that public views on relationships between cheerleaders and players remain heated.
In the end, Park Gi-ryang's candid remarks still raise valid questions, and combined with the changing atmosphere in sports, they are drawing renewed interest<
[Photo] OSEN DB, broadcast screen
[OSEN]