Complete list of MLB, Dodgers and Padres players from South Korea

Major League Baseball and South Korea have quite a connection. Baseball is a big part of South Korea's culture.

With the Korean Baseball Organization feeding players to Major League Baseball and MLB players playing in the KBO, it's a fantastic partnership that will have its first showcase of Major League Baseball in Seoul with the MLB Tour Seoul Series on Wednesday and Thursday.

South Korean players Ha-Seong Kim and Woo-Suk Go play for the San Diego Padres

Two members of the San Diego Padres will play in their home country as the MLB plays in Seoul for the first time.

Kim signed with the Padres in 2020, playing middle infield positions. He has a 3.7 WAR and took over the shortstop position after Fernando Tatis Jr. fell injured. He will take over the position again this season from Xander Bogaerts for defense.

Go is a 25-year-old righty who signed a two-year contract this offseason to help close out games in San Diego. In seven seasons in Korea, he struck out 401 batters in 368 1/3 innings, saving 139 games with a 3.18 ERA. He will be an exciting addition for the Padres, who lost their former closer, Josh Hader, to the Houston Astros in free agency.

Do the Dodgers have any South Korean players?

The Los Angeles Dodgers do not have any South Korean players, though they do feature Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani from nearby Japan. You can expect crowds to flock to see Ohtani and Yamamoto play against MLB competition. Ohtani should start at DH, while Yamamot is slated to pitch in the second game of the series.

Jung Hoo Lee plays outfield for San Fransisco Giants

Lee signed a six-year $113 million contract with the Giants this offseason. During his time in the Korean Baseball Organization, Lee played for the Kiwoom and Nexem.

In seven seasons in the KBO, Lee batted .340/.407/.491, walking 383 times and striking out 304 times. He had a 55-strikeout pace over 162 games. He won the KBO MVP award in 2022 by hitting .349/.421/.575 with 36 doubles, ten triples, 23 home runs, and 113 RBIs in 142 games, striking out just 32 times with 66 walks.

Ji-Man Choi plays for the New York Mets

Choi was born in Incheon, South Korea, but never played in the KBO. He began his MLB career after signing with the Seattle Mariners before the 2010 season. He has been a journeyman through the MLB ever since.

Choi found a home with the Rays from 2018-22. He played first base over 414 games for Tampa Bay before being traded to Pittsburgh. For his career, Choi has hit .234/.338/.426; he has 93 doubles, 67 home runs, and 238 RBIs.

He's in camp with the Mets this spring after signing a minor league contract with the club.

More Korean stars in the MLB

When he joined the Dodgers, Chan Ho Park became the first Korean player to play in the MLB. Park logged multiple 200-strikeout seasons and made an All-Star team in 2001 before signing a five-year, $65 million deal with the Rangers in free agency. During his career, Park played for the Padres, Mets, Dodgers, Phillies, Yankees, and Pirates.

Park has been on the wrong side of some historic moments in the MLB. Park allowed two grand slams in one inning to St. Louis Cardinals' Fernando Tatis Sr. in 1999. He gave up San Fransisco Giant Barry Bonds’ record-breaking 71st home run and his 72nd homer in 2001. He also threw Cal Ripken Jr.'s final All-Star Game home run.

Park finished his MLB career with a 4.36 ERA and 1,715 K’s over 1,993 innings.

Hee-Seop Choi was the first Korean position player to play in the MLB. He joined the league in 2002 and played for the Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins, and Dodgers. Over 363 games and four seasons, he produced 40 homers, 120 RBIs, and a .786 OPS.

In 16 MLB seasons, Shin-Soo Choo made the All-Star team with the Texas Rangers in 2018, becoming the first Korean-born position player to earn an All-Star appearance. Choo was in the MLB from 2005-20, playing for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Guardians, Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers. Choo had a career .275/.377/.447 slash, Choo tallied seven 20-homer seasons and reached the 20-steal plateau four times.

Seung-Hwan Oh is a right-handed relief pitcher with 19 seasons and three professional organizations. In the MLB, he played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Colorado Rockies. He found tremendous success in Japan and Korea.

The all-time KBO leader with 522 saves and a five-time Korean Series champion, Oh also spent some time in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball before playing four seasons in the MLB. He returned to the KBO in 2020 and signed a new two-year deal in January, entering his age-41 season.