SK gives splashy wedding gift to ace pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun

Korean professional baseball team SK Wyverns has presented its left-hand pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun, who did not realize his dream of playing in the U.S. Major League Baseball, with a salary bonanza.

Wyverns announced on Sunday, “Kim signed a contract for 600 million won (544,000 U.S. dollars) for an annual payment, which is a 122 percent increase year-on-year.”

This is the largest pay raise ever among Korean baseball players excluding free agent players. LG Twins closer Bong Jung-keun got an annual salary of 450 million won (408,000 dollars), a 272,000-dollar raise. Kim’s new contract has also broken the record of SK pitchers’ highest salary, which Cho Woong-cheon was paid 272,000 dollars in 2008.

SK said, “Kim maintained double-digit numbers of winning matches for two consecutive years. He has decided to stay with the SK Wyverns instead of joining the U.S. Major League. We have reflected our expectations for him next year in his new contract.”

Kim played as starting pitcher in 28 games and won 13 matches, which was a four-way tie for the most wins in a season, and nine losing matches, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.42 (second-ranked). He won 10 games and lost nine matches with an ERA of 4.47 in 2013, when he received a 27,000-dollar raise for this season’s salary.

“I’d been disappointed because negotiations with the San Diego Padres fell through, but my team immediately provided high pay. I will make efforts to be a more valuable athlete," Kim said. The SK pitcher tied the knot on Sunday and left for the U.S. on his honeymoon.