'The benevolent king' Shin Bon-ki (36), a commentator for Busan MBC, will hold his retirement ceremony in the game against his former team, the Lotte Giants.

The Korea Professional Baseball (KBO) team KT Wiz announced on the 8th that they will hold Shin Bon-ki's retirement ceremony during the home game against the Lotte Giants on the 11th at Suwon KT Wiz Park.

A retirement commemorative fan signing event will open the retirement ceremony for Shin Bon-ki. The official retirement ceremony will take place on the field with players from his 'home team' Lotte and fans, featuring a retirement history video showcasing his career highlights along with a presentation of gratitude gifts prepared by the club.

Following that, a KBO 1,000-game attendance commemorative award ceremony will be held, and there are plans for a retirement commemorative first pitch ceremony with Shin Bon-ki and his family to conclude his baseball career.

A graduate of Kyunam High School and Dong-A University, Shin Bon-ki became a member of the Lotte Giants in 2012 and was a role model for juniors throughout his 13 years in professional baseball with his exceptional professionalism and diligence. He roamed the field as a utility player capable of covering all infield positions.

Shin Bon-ki left Busan through a trade in December 2020 and joined Suwon. The experienced multi-infielder Shin Bon-ki became a significant asset to the KT team at that time, effectively filling the gaps left by injured starters and winning his first championship ring by participating in three games of the 2021 Korean Series.

Shin Bon-ki finally acquired his first free agent (FA) status after the 2022 season. He experienced ups and downs with a batting average in the 1s over 74 games, but in January 2023, he signed a contract worth 300 million won for 1+1 years with his former team, KT, and achieved an extension after recording a batting average of .240 over 40 games in the 2023 season.

Shin Bon-ki was regarded as an icon of philanthropy, taking the lead in continuous donations and volunteer activities throughout his career. Because of this, he was selected as the recipient of the KBO Golden Glove for Love in 2017.

Over his 12 seasons in the KBO, Shin Bon-ki recorded a batting average of .247 over 1,000 games, with 541 hits, 260 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases. He announced his retirement after concluding the 2024 season with a batting average of .279 over 84 games, hitting 3 home runs and recording 19 RBIs.

[OSEN]