Will Yang Hong-seok, 26, be the final piece of the LG championship puzzle?
Changwon LG signed national team forward Yang Hong-seok on Sunday. The contract is for five years and a total of 750 million won. LG had been looking for a big forward, and with Yang’s signing, the team has succeeded in bolstering its roster. Although Kim Jun-il later moved to Hyundai Mobis as a free agent, LG’s power is considered to have been greatly strengthened.
Yang Hong-seok attended the ‘UA NEXT: CAMP SERIES KOREA’ event at All That Basket in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on March 21 as a judge to evaluate the skills of the juniors.
Yang Hong-seok said, “I was at KT for six years and thank you for taking care of me. Now I’m an LG player. I’m grateful to the officials for thinking highly of me. The fans in Changwon are so passionate. I’m looking forward to playing in the LG uniform. Fans from my time in Busan also said they were happy for me and would definitely come to see me,” he laughed.스포츠토토
LG has established itself as a popular club, but along with KT and Korea Gas Corporation, it is one of the few clubs without a championship. Last season, LG lost to SK in the quarterfinals due to an injury to Asem Marei. The team has high hopes for big forward Yang Hong-seok, who can both score and rebound.
“I think I can showcase my abilities at LG better than other clubs. I was grateful when the offer came. I wanted the team and they wanted me. It was a good fit. Coach Cho Sang-hyun personally came out and said, ‘We need you,’ which shook my heart. Even after I went to the army, he said, ‘You should be the center of LG’s generation change.’ (Jae-do) and I were together for about two weeks when I was with KT, and (Kwan-hee) was with me when I was with the national team. I contacted them after signing, and we had a short conversation about seeing each other on the team.”
This season, there has been a chain reaction of forwards in the free agency market. Moon Sung-gon moved to KT and Oh Se-geun to SK. Choi Jun-yong joined KCC. In the midst of all the big news and the creation of super teams, Yang Hong-seok’s move has gone relatively unnoticed.
“Of course, there is pressure to perform. Considering the amount of money I’m getting paid, I feel like I have to show (my performance) under pressure. I hope that all of my fellow free agents will be well-received and survive.”
The upcoming season is also very important for Yang Hong-seok. He is scheduled to join a commercial organization after the end of the season, and he will also compete for the national team at the Hangzhou Asian Games in September. “It’s always an honor to represent your country. There’s no reason not to. If you are selected as one of the 12 players in Korea, you should be proud and work hard,” he said, adding that he is looking forward to playing for the national team.