he is now 32 years old. The professional baseball team NC Dinos traded one of the founding members, of which only 2 remain. This trade has a strong nature of 'giving a chance', and NC is also working to regain its outfield strength.

NC executed the trade with SSG on the 7th. They agreed to send outfielder Kim Seong-wook (32) and receive the 4th-round pick in the 2026 rookie draft and 50 million won in cash.

Kim Seong-wook graduated from Jinheung High School and was drafted by NC in the 3rd round of the 2012 rookie draft. He is now one of the few true founding members of NC still active. He participated in the fall camp in Gangjin along with Park Min-woo, conducted for the first time since the founding, and has been with NC, while Won Jong-hyun (Kiwoom), Na Sung-bum (KIA), Kim Jin-sung (LG), and No Jin-hyuk (Lotte) are all active, but they have all left NC. Lee Jae-hak has been with the team since its inception but joined in 2011 via the 2nd draft after being drafted by Doosan in 2010. Park Min-woo and Kim Seong-wook were players who are the very essence of NC's history.

however, Kim Seong-wook ultimately met the fate of being traded without securing a spot with NC. It was not that he had no opportunities. He was classified as part of the core of talented outfielders alongside Park Min-woo and Na Sung-bum. Former manager Kim Kyung-moon tried to give Kim Seong-wook a starting outfield position, and there were indeed accomplishments.

from 2016 to 2018, he appeared in over 100 games and received over 340 plate appearances. In 2016, he recorded a batting average of .265 (81 hits in 306 at-bats), 15 home runs, 51 RBIs, and an OPS of .801, and in 2018, he had a batting average of .260 (84 hits in 323 at-bats), 13 home runs, 45 RBIs, and an OPS of .753.

nevertheless, Kim Seong-wook could not break out in the end. He possessed speed, power, a strong arm, and defensive skills, but his contact tool did not improve. Ultimately, time passed for Kim Seong-wook. As foreign players were chosen as outfielders, his standing diminished. Although Na Sung-bum left the team as a free agent, NC acquired top hitters like Park Kun-woo and Son Ah-seop, limiting the opportunities for Kim Seong-wook. Additionally, there was also a fixed resource in Kwon Hee-dong.

still, he fought hard last year, setting personal career highs with 17 home runs and 60 RBIs. However, his batting average stood only at .240 (73 hits in 358 at-bats). After acquiring free agency status at the end of last season, he signed a two-year contract worth a maximum of 300 million won (50 million won signing bonus, 200 million won salary, and 50 million won in options) amid a cold market response. This year, he had a left shoulder injury in the defensive process, only achieving a batting average of .077 (1 hit in 9 at-bats) in 9 first-team games.

the reason NC could not let go of Kim Seong-wook until now was ultimately due to the depth of their outfield players. Even though they have Son Ah-seop and Park Kun-woo, they needed to preserve the stamina of veterans who also had to serve as designated hitters. The backup depth was lacking, and Kim Seong-wook was perfectly suited for that role. However, he was approaching his mid-30s, and still remained stagnant. He was only 3 years younger than Park Kun-woo.

this year, exceptional semi-regular players like Cheon Jae-hwan and Han Seok-hyun are standing out in NC's outfield. Both Cheon Jae-hwan and Han Seok-hyun, born in 1994 and currently 31 years old, have performed better than Kim Seong-wook, who has fallen in recent performances due to similar usage. As a result, NC decided to part ways with Kim Seong-wook.

in addition, NC has younger outfield players continuing to perform in the second team. With new faces emerging, if Kim Seong-wook remains, the opportunities for these young players to play are inevitably reduced. There is a need for opportunities for young outfielders like Park Si-won, Ko Seung-wan, Han Jae-hwan, Kim Beom-jun, and Song Seung-hwan, and they need to establish themselves in the first team. For the gradual rebuilding and retooling of the outfield, it was essential to organize the outfielders.

NC Director General Lim Seon-nam said, "This trade was a strategic decision aimed at strengthening the team's medium to long-term power. We have gained the opportunity to secure promising players through rookie draft picks. This trade focuses on increasing the club's future competitiveness. I would like to express deep gratitude to Kim Seong-wook, who has devoted himself to the team. I sincerely hope he achieves great success with his new team."

from SSG's perspective, they needed a player who could alleviate the physical burden and fatigue of their starting center fielder, Choi Ji-hoon, which was increasingly becoming a concern. Moreover, compared to existing outfield resources like Ha Jae-hoon and Chae Hyun-woo, Kim Seong-wook offered superior defense. SSG needed a backup resource like Kim Seong-wook, especially when their versatile utility player Oh Tae-gon had to step into the less familiar center field position. Additionally, given that Kim Seong-wook possesses significant long-range power, he is expected to make a mark at SSG Landers Field.

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