Choi Won-jun, hit by Ha Ji-won's pitch, responds with a comeback 3-run home run
An underdog comeback home run drama by KT's Choi Won-jun, who was hit by a ball thrown by actress Ha Ji-won during her first ceremonial first pitch in 12 years, fueled by her fan spirit.
Ha Ji-won on the Mound After 12 Years, Challenging Her 'Home Run' Trauma
Actress Ha Ji-won stood on the baseball mound for the first time in 12 years. She appeared as the ceremonial first pitcher at the 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League game between the LG Twins and the KT Wiz, held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 16th.
This ceremonial pitch was organized to celebrate the YouTube channel 'Class of '26 Ji-won,' a college student communication web variety show starring Ha Ji-won, surpassing 100,000 subscribers. A video titled 'The big ball launched by
Ha Ji-won shared her feelings while recalling past memories. Looking at a photo from 2003 where she was kicking the ball while wearing high heels, she expressed distress, saying, "I don't want to see it. Why was I like that?" She mentioned that she had no interest in baseball in the past and brought up her song 'Home Run.' She confessed that while 'Home Run' was quite shocking, she has come to love baseball by bringing it back to the world as a beautiful challenge.
To achieve a perfect pitch, Ha Ji-won sought special training from former Major Leaguer Kim Byung-hyun. Watching Ha Ji-won's past pitching videos, Kim Byung-hyun joked, "Your form is good. You look so young back then," making the scene erupt in laughter. Regarding Kim's charisma, Ha Ji-won said, "I had seen old videos of him, and I felt like I wouldn't even be able to strike up a conversation." Kim showed a changed side, saying, "You've become a new person now. You can speak comfortably to me."
Ha Ji-won will meet fans through the film 'Portrait of a Family,' which is set to be released on September 2.
A Drama Created by Fan Love, Choi Won-jun's 'Customized' Comeback Home Run
A special episode occurred between the ceremonial pitcher and the batter during today's game. When KT Wiz's Choi Won-jun stepped up to the plate, the ball thrown by Ha Ji-won hit his body.
In a post-game interview, Choi Won-jun revealed, "Actually, I could have avoided it." Having liked Ha Ji-won since elementary school, he could not hide his excitement as he took a photo with her just before the pitch. Choi shared the situation, saying, "I like actress Ha Ji-won so much that I thought, 'I should let it hit me once,' but she threw it straight at me." He added, "The ball was heavier than I thought." Due to his introverted nature, he was unable to tell her directly, "I am a fan."
As if receiving the energy from Ha Ji-won's 'Home Run,' Choi Won-jun hit a comeback 3-run home run over the right fence off LG starter Anders Tolhurst's first pitch, a 137km/h cutter, in the top of the 2nd inning with two outs and runners on 1st and 3rd. This single hit shifted the momentum of the game toward KT.
KT took the lead behind Choi Won-jun's home run, and the starting pitcher Logan along with the bullpen held off the LG lineup to win 4-3. Marking their first game of the second half with a victory, KT recorded 48 wins (35 losses, 1 draw), narrowing the gap with 2nd place LG to 2.5 games.
Meanwhile, Ha Ji-won recently drew attention by performing her song 'Home Run' on stage for the first time in 23 years.
