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The 26-year-old third baseman of the national team, Noh Si-hwan, will earn an annual salary of 1 billion Korean won this year. As per the salary contract details for the 2026 season released by the professional baseball team Hanwha on the 21st, Noh Si-hwan has signed a deal worth 1 billion won, marking an increase of 670 million won compared to last year’s 330 million won. This represents the highest growth rate (around 203%) and the largest increase in salary within the team.

Noh Si-hwan achieved a .260 batting average, hit 32 home runs, and recorded 101 RBIs over all 144 games last season, helping his team reach the Korean Series for the first time in 19 years. Noh Si-hwan will become eligible for free agency for the first time after this season, and Hanwha seems to have set up a plan to bring him back. If another team wishes to sign Noh Si-hwan, they will need to pay compensation equal to two to three times his yearly salary.

Moon Hyun-bin, 22 years old, achieved a batting average of 0.320 and hit 12 home runs last season, signing a contract worth 230 million won, representing an increase of over 161% from the previous year’s 88 million won. This marks the second-largest growth rate among position players, after Noh Si-hwan. Closer Kim Seo-hyun, also 22 years old, signed for 168 million won, which is a 200% rise from the 56 million won he earned last year. This is the highest growth rate among pitchers. Pitcher Moon Dong-ju, 23 years old, who was paid 100 million won last year, will now receive 220 million won.

Kim Beom-su, 31, who was an internal free agent with Hanwha, signed a three-year deal with KIA worth up to 2 billion won on the same day. Left-handed pitcher Kim Beom-su, who joined Hanwha in 2015, is departing the team after an 11-year tenure. Last season, he appeared in 73 games with a record of 2 wins, 2 saves, 6 holds, and an ERA of 2.25. KIA also secured internal free agent Jo Sang-woo, 32, with a two-year contract worth up to 1.5 billion won, and Hong Geon-hui, 34, who previously played for Doosan, with a one-year contract worth up to 700 million won, completing a major move by acquiring three bullpen players in a single day. A KIA source stated, “After internal strategy discussions, we determined that strengthening the bullpen was essential, and we made active moves until the end of the offseason,” adding, “We believe all three players have the potential to contribute to the winning lineup.”