Although I took off the beloved LG Twins uniform, feelings of excitement and anticipation immediately surged. Since I did not get a chance with LG, I want to open a successful era with my new team, said Im Jun-hyung (25).

Im Jun-hyung was traded from LG to KT on the morning of the 25th. He experienced his first career trade as LG agreed to send left-handed pitcher Im Jun-hyung to KT in exchange for infielder Cheon Seong-ho and catcher Kim Jun-tae. On the 24th, Im Jun-hyung, as a member of LG, faced KT and recorded one inning with one walk and one strikeout without any runs, so just a day later, yesterday's enemy became today's ally.

Met at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 25th, Im Jun-hyung said, "As soon as I woke up in the morning, I was flooded with thoughts after hearing about the trade." He noted, "I didn't get many chances at LG. But since KT needed me, I think I will have more opportunities here. Life is long. I want to show good performance with my new team," expressing his feelings about donning the KT uniform.

When asked what was discussed during his meeting with Manager Lee Kang-cheol, he replied, "He told me that my form last year after returning from military service looked really good and that I should go back to that. He said to throw like I did last year."

What does it mean to pitch like last year? Manager Lee Kang-cheol explained to reporters, "Im Jun-hyung's pitching form has changed from last year, and his arm has dropped a lot. Before, it was better when he threw from above. I will discuss the pitching form with the player. If he can change it, it's better to do so."

In this context, Im Jun-hyung shared, "Coaches during my time at LG said that since I am a left-handed bullpen pitcher, it would be good if hitters found me a little more tricky, so I lowered my arm." He expressed confidence, saying, "Raising my arm again shouldn't be a problem."

Fortunately, there are several players with whom Im Jun-hyung has built a relationship at KT. Friends and juniors from his time in military service are expected to greatly aid his adaptation. Im Jun-hyung said, "(Kwon) Dong-jin is a military colleague. He was the squad leader at the time. Also, when I was discharged, (Bae) Je-seong came in, and I saw him briefly. At that time, he talked to me a lot about baseball, and I got along well with Dong-jin."

When asked what he thought of KT when he was at LG, he said, "It seemed like a good team for young players to play baseball. I thought that if I played at KT, I could really grow." He added, "During my time at LG, I often faced right-handed batters, but I really wanted to avoid Ahn Hyun-min and (Kang) Baek-ho," welcoming the move to KT.

Im Jun-hyung, who must face his former team LG while wearing the KT uniform starting the 26th, chose Park Dong-won and Kim Hyun-soo as the batters he most wants to face. He stated, "Senior (Park) Dong-won feels like he’s saying, 'Come in once' so I really said I would just throw fastballs. Senior (Kim) Hyun-soo said, 'I don't want to hit your pitch. My legs feel fast,' but he’s such a great hitter, I want to challenge him once."

Im Jun-hyung, drafted 75th in the 8th round of the 2nd draft by LG in 2019 after graduating from Jinheung High School, has now reached his seventh year as a professional. With a career record of 39 games, 2 wins, 3 losses, and 1 hold, and an earned run average of 4.92, he has a strong desire to establish himself at KT.

Im Jun-hyung said, "I’ve somewhat reached my seventh year this year. I thought I would settle in to some extent, but I had to change teams due to the trade. My goal is to show an even better performance than I did during my time at LG." He made a new resolution.

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