Regarding the Samsung Lions losing the first game 8–7 to the KT Wiz in the professional baseball Korean Series held yesterday (November 3), former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo posted a message on social media directly targeting Samsung Lions pitcher Choi Won-tae.

Former Mayor Hong wrote on his social media today (November 4), "The Samsung Lions can only survive if they ditch Choi Won-tae," adding, "Getting paid 7 billion won and performing like that means they should dump Choi and play baseball next year."

This was a harsh criticism directed at Samsung Lions pitcher Choi Won-tae, who was evaluated as having shown sluggish pitching in yesterday's game.

Former Mayor Hong continued with sharp remarks, saying, "Choi Won-tae has always been like that. Seeing him pitch well just once is all I've ever seen," and added, "It's a waste of money. The Samsung front office was truly foolish to bring in a player who is nothing more than a journeyman for 7 billion won."

Former Mayor Hong also mentioned, "If he frequented a PC bang ahead of an important match, such a player has no qualifications as a professional," stating, "He should be kicked out. If he cannot repay the manager's trust, he has no value as a professional player."

Choi Won-tae started Game 1 of the 2026 Pro Baseball Korean Series against the KT Wiz held at Suwon KT Wiz Park yesterday, but gave up 5 runs—including a home run, 5 hits, and 1 walk—over 2 innings. Eventually, Samsung substituted Choi at the bottom of the 3rd inning while trailing 5–0.

Reported by Son Hyeong-an | Video by Kim Na-on | Design by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News