From KBO to MLB, the first matchup between Lee Jung-hou and Kim Hye-sung is destined to be "significant"

Before the two South Korean players known as the "Wind Suns" and "Comets" entered the major leagues, they were already the brightest stars in Korean baseball.

This weekend, San Francisco Giants' Lee Jung-hou and Los Angeles Dodgers' Kim Hye-sung will meet for the first time in their major league careers. The three-game match at Dodger Stadium was the highest-profile matchup in June, with Kim's Dodgers leading the Giants played by Lee Jung-hou by just one win and leading the highly competitive National League West.

For the two who are close friends to each other, this battle is very meaningful. Their career in professional baseball began in South Korea and landed in the major leagues through the entry system for two consecutive years.

From working together with the Korean national team before professional tournaments to being selected by the KBO League Certified Heroes team to play side by side for seven seasons in the same year, Lee Jung-hou and Kim Hye-sung carry a deep shared history. But this weekend will set a number of "firsts" – not just at the major league level.

Kim Hye-sung recalled that he had played against Lee Jung-hou in the high school practice match, and there was also a clash in this year's spring training game. But as far as he knows, this will be the first time the two have met in an official event. "It's cool and fun to meet as a competitor," says Kim Hye-sung, who translates for Joe Lee, "and it brings a whole new feeling to him as an opponent." "

What's even more special is that they are at both ends of the spectrum of MLB's classic feud. "When the game starts, we don't pay too much attention to each other," Justin Han, an interpreter for Lee during spring training, admitted, "but deep down there is always a place for Hye-sung." "

Lee Jung-hou landed first in the major leagues, signing a six-year, $113 million contract with the Giants in 2024 — but only played 37 games due to a shoulder injury before the season was reimbursed. Although this season has experienced a cooling after the hot start of the season, it still shows the potential of superstars.

Kim Hye-sung joined the Dodgers for three years and $12.5 million last offseason and began his American career in minor leagues. After adjusting his swing moves, he played well in the major leagues for the first time in May, and now plays as a left-hand shooter in Los Angeles.

Despite the busy schedule, the two kept in close contact. At the beginning of the year, Kim Hye-sung asked Lee Jung-hou for advice on adapting to the life of the big league. Even though they have support systems (and even allies in common) on their respective teams, there is a unique solus in being away from home.

"There is no need to give advice to Hye-sung on the court, he is a top player," Mr. Lee said earlier this year, "and we often communicate off the court, after all, this is his first year in the big league." Everything from food and transportation to environmental differences. "

While this weekend's win or defeat at Dodger Stadium will affect the division standings (the season is still months away), Kim Hye-sung stressed that he has no intention of competing for superiority among friends: "I want the Dodgers to win, but it's a friendly competition between the two. "

The heights they reached together were precious enough. "It means a lot," Kim Hye-sung said, "We were drafted in the same year, we fought side by side, and now we are playing against each other in the major leagues." The duel in the same district adds special significance and makes people excited. "

If the twin stars continue to shine, the feud battle of the future giant Dodge will surely burst into more brilliant sparks.