When the Atlanta Braves reunited with Ha-Seong Kim earlier this offseason, they not only checked off their need for a shortstop in 2026, they also all but guaranteed that they'll do something that hasn't been done since 2003.
As long as Kim gets through spring training without an injury, he'll become the second South Korean-born player in franchise history to make the Opening Day roster, and the first since Jung-Keun Bong did in 2003.
Jung-Keun Bong forgotten legacy remembered thanks to Ha-Seong Kim
Before the Braves claimed Ha-Seong Kim off of waivers last September, Jung-Keun Bong was the only Korean to have played for the Braves in franchise history.
The left-handed pitcher was discovered by the Braves as a teenager while pitching in an international youth tournament in Canada. Bong only signed after his family was assured he would be able to finish high school. Bong's reported signing bonus was $900,000, according to Cho Sun's report in 1997. South Korea at the time was a rather untapped market for MLB, as only Chan Ho Park had appeared in an MLB game.
Bong pitched well for the Braves at each level of the minor leagues, reaching the major leagues at 21, where he made one April start in 2002, where he went six innings and allowed five runs. When he debuted, he became just the fifth player born in South Korea to have made the major leagues, following Park, Byung-Hyun Kim, Jin Ho Cho, and Sun-Woo Kim. Other than this one start cameo, the lefty spent the entire season in Double-A Greenville, where he appeared in 27 games and had a 3.25 ERA.
In 2003, Bong made the Opening Day roster, becoming the first and only South Korean to make a Braves Opening Day roster to this point. Despite appearing in 44 games, he lefty struggled with command, and had a 5.05 ERA in 57 innings.
During spring training in 2004, Bong was traded along with Bubba Nelson to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Chris Reitsma. He'd only make three started for the 2004 Reds, which would be his final three in MLB. Overall, Bong finished his MLB career with a 5.17 ERA in 48 games, totalling 78.1 innings. After the 2004 season, Bong joined the LG Twins in the KBO. He'd pitch 10 seasons in Korea, with varying degrees of success as a starter and reliever.
Because of his short tenure in MLB, Bong's lasting legacy was him being the singular Korean player in Braves franchise history. However, because the club never seriously pursued any Korean players aside from Ji-Hwan Bae, who's contract was voided, there were rarely opportunities to bring up this fun fact.
While Bong failed to make much of an impression at the major league level, he should be remembered as one of the trail blazers of the Korea to MLB pipeline. Since his signing, South Korea has seen players like Shin-Soo Choo, Hyun-jin Ryu, and Ha-Seong Kim come over to the United and succeed at the major league level. It seems only appropriate, then, that Kim, one of the most successful Korean-born MLB players, is set to succeed Bong as the most recent Korean to make a Braves Opening Day roster.