A South Korean court has denied the appeal of infielder Jung Ho Kang over his sentencing in an offseason DUI charge, reports Jee-ho Yoo of Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. According to Yoo, the Seoul Central District Court upheld a suspended eight-month prison sentence for Kang, which now jeopardizes Kang’s career with the Pirates.
Kang was charged with his third DUI in South Korea this offseason and admitted guilt, which ultimately led to an early-March sentencing of eight months in prison. However, the sentence was suspended for two years and allows Kang to avoid serving any actual jail time so long as he does not violate the terms of the suspended sentence that were set forth by the court. Kang had sought to reduce the suspended sentence to a fine, but today’s ruling quashes that hope.
The 30-year-old Kang has been on the restricted list for the Pirates all season, meaning he has not accrued any Major League service time, nor has he received any of this season’s $2.75MM salary. To this point, he’s been unable to secure a work visa after the United States Embassy rejected his initial application, per Yoo.
Pirates president Frank Coonelly said in a statement issued shortly after Kang’s sentencing that the Pirates would “continue to work with him and his representatives in an effort to secure his work visa so that he may resume his career as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.” Coonelly’s statement also indicated that the team would have a “serious discussion with him on this issue and how he has and will change those behaviors that led to the very serious punishment” and that further comments or team-issued discipline would be withheld until the team has had a chance to speak with Kang on the matter.
The Pirates originally signed Kang to a four-year, $11MM contract after submitting a posting fee of $5,002,015 to his former club, the Korea Baseball Organization’s Nexen Heroes, in the 2014-15 offseason. Kang’s contract calls for a $2.75MM salary in 2017, $3MM in 2018 and a $5.5MM club option or $250K buyout for 2019. It is now unclear, however, if Kang will be able to obtain a work visa to continue his playing career with the Pirates at any point throughout the duration of the upheld suspended prison sentence.
Hope he comes back for the Pirates soon
Ain’t happening….there’s no way he is getting a Visa anytime soon.
Or a MasterCard.
Too bad a Discover Card won’t get him here.
What about AMEX?
Any word on Diner’s Club?
What about Korean Express? He could really use that one.
Just watch out on the roads!
Doubt this could/would happen but should he be able to come back could the Red Sox look at him as an option at the hot corner. Then buy him out/trade him during the 2018 season or in that offseason to make room for Deverse who should be ready by then. Again like I said earlier, this is probably has a 0.00001% chance of happening but I think the Red Sox would be smart to at least look into a possible trade for him and go for it if the price is right.
Excellent Idea!
I can’t tell if you are serious or not
I was literally thinking the same thing
Again, the same thing how the Red Sox should look into this or same thing you don’t know if he is serous?
A professional athlete with 3 DUIs in 10 years.. Why would anyone want him to be a part of their organization? He should be treated like normal folk and be denied a visa. 3 times he could have easily killed someone.
exactly he should have used his millions on a limo
Seriously still standing by him? Why on Earth? There are hundreds of other players in the organization. Go build a winning team without this dude. What will it take- him killing someone in a DUI?
Well, he’s good, so it’s understandable they want him back. “Comeback” stories are always popular, and if he came back, hit well, and didn’t kill anybody, people would forget. Not sure professional teams care too much about morality really (whether they should, I don’t know, but if they think he can help them win, they’ll want him)
I rather have a player that was busted for PEDs three times then a guy that got a DUI once.
A guy that drives drunk (and he’s done it far more then the three times he’s been caught I’m sure) and is involved in anything that comes close to rape shouldn’t be someone that is allowed to continue playing.
DUI needs to be treated like a drug of abuse. Kang should be banned for life.
Unless I misunderstood, (which is entirely possible), 3 PED charges results in permanent suspension right? Could use a similar model if they wanted, 3 is more than enough chances for most problems.
3 times Is too many chances it’s a serious problem he should be done
Pretty lame post from start to finish
A new low speaking about the dead.
The Pirates need a break…. Gary Sanchez incoming?
No chance
DUI . this guy is stupid
Wow pretty easy to get a cab in Seoul any time of day. Let this guy stay in Korea.
he doesn’t get rave reviews for his driving
Yes
This is not the NFL, this is MLB. He should play for that team Thames played for over there.
Thames also with DUI in Korea.
He should consider himself lucky that he’s been able to stay out of jail. MLB should make a statement, if you are stupid enough to get 3 DUIs they should be done. I wouldn’t want this guy anywhere near my team with his level of poor judgement
He should never be granted a Visa or be allowed to work or live in the USA!
Maybe he should just come without permission and play. 21 million others just come here without permission, what’s one more? By the way many of the 21 million commit crimes while they are here and when they serve their time they are out on the street! I can’t believe that so many of you are insensitive to som
Somebody that wants to improve his life.
Kang isn’t someone that wants to improve his life. He acts like a spoiled star who thinks because of his baseball ability he is above the law and can do whatever they want.
Scum like him have no place in this country.
There is a legal way
Any that hire illegal should be fine and business closed for ever
Kang will sneak out of Korea to Mexico then illegally cross the border under the name of Juan O. Kanga, sign with the Staten Island Ducks and hope he gets noticed by an MLB team (it’s a joke, folks).
Way to make it about something that it isn’t.
“many of the 21 million commit crimes”
excellent stat.
I mean if you want to get technical, 21 million of the 21 million illegal entrants commit a crime on the way in. (I have no idea if the 21 million is accurate btw)
As much as the pirates need his bat, Jung Ho needs punished… maybe will get through to him. Maybe he’ll get lucky and get his visa late this year and be able to return next season. loosing a couple million dollars might convince him to get his act together.
question about his contract… if he doesn’t play all this season and is not eligible to be on the roster.. does his contract get pushed out an additional year resuming where it left off? I wouldn’t think so but….
Good screw this guy- if I got 3 dui I would possibly face jail time and lose my job. Why because he’s an athlete? Take your medicine.
I mean he currently is at the same risk, now officially going to serve 8 months, could lose job, currently without pay.
Accountability – how refreshing.
Good
You make all that money but cannot call a Korean uber ?
I got an opinion and I want to voice it right now!
Still one of my favorite players. Pull some strings Pirates.