5th year pro high-speed sidearm. The best pitcher in high school baseball of the year. Still 23 years old, one of the best prospects in the KBO League.
All glory has faded. On the 23rd, the Lotte team discharged (withdrew) pitcher Seo Jun-won (23), who was charged and sent to the court for criminal offenses against minors. The highest level of discipline was imposed as quickly as possible on the day the controversy was raised.
Sports Chosun confirmed that Seo Jun-won received an arrest warrant substantive review in March after a police investigation for a criminal act involving a minor in last December. Taking into account the possibility of escape or destruction of evidence, he narrowly avoided arrest. The case has been transferred and forwarded to the Busan District Prosecutor’s Office.
He is a top-notch prospect who has been in the spotlight of the baseball world since his middle school days in Kaesong. At the time of his attendance at Gyeongnam High School, he was evaluated as the best talent in high school baseball. At the time of nomination, former general manager Lee Yoon-won expressed his high expectations by saying, “The player you know.”
However, since joining Lotte in 2019, he has not been able to easily blossom his potential. Over his last four seasons, he was 15-23 with a 5.56 earned run average.
He seemed to be different this year. He became the father of a wife and son older than he knew it. He underwent intensive diet and balance training. His attitude to baseball was followed by praise from his coaching staff. Although he did not make it into the starting rotation, he gained the trust of the command tower enough to be designated as the first replacement. As soon as the season was over, he went from finishing camp to Australia League (ABL) Geelong Korea to sharpen his knife.
It seemed to finally bloom. The club, which boldly invested 26 billion won in the contract extension of three free agents (Yoo Gang-nam, Noh Jin-hyuk, and Han Hyun-hee) and ace Park Se-woong this winter, was preparing for this season with a different mindset.
The Lotte team, agent, and family had no idea about Seo Jun-won’s problems. In particular, a Lotte official said, “We acknowledge the club’s negligence in management. However, in reality, information such as criminal acts is difficult for the club to know unless the player himself discloses it.”
This is why Seo Jun-won was able to attend spring camps in Guam and Okinawa, Japan, and pitch in exhibition games even while he was under investigation. On the 20th against the Samsung Lions, he threw a fastball of up to 149 km and pitched 3 scoreless innings. But everything went in vain.
Seo Jun-won, who was difficult to reach, burst into tears in a world that collapsed overnight. Despite his superstar qualities, he is still a young 23-year-old. But he’s past 20, which also means he’s an adult who has to take responsibility for his actions.
The report was made by a woman who had an anonymous chat with Seo Jun-won. From the police point of view, it was Seo Jun-won.
He said, “I’m sorry. I have nothing to say. I will admit the fact that it is true, and I will respond (legally) if there is a report that is not true.”
He continued, “I had no idea that (the other person) was a minor. I first found out during the police investigation. We had never met, so we didn’t know who each other was. We only talked through an anonymous chat.”
Abduction and enticement of minors is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison under Article 287 of the Criminal Act. Yoon Ye-rim, an attorney at Law Firm Life,메이저놀이터 explained to Sports Chosun, “The Criminal Act, not the Information and Communications Network Act, was applied, so although it was dismissed, it was a warrant review. .