Samsung's Park Han-i Tells Players to Ease Tension, Drawing on Know-How From 63 Korean Series Games, the Most in the Yearbook

Samsung hitting coach Park Han-i told players to enjoy the tension ahead of Game 1 of the Korean Series against KT. His principle is not to fix batting stances but to swing aggressively and keep analytical information concise.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

Three-Line Summary

Coach Park Han-i advised players to enjoy the tension ahead of Game 1 of the Korean Series against KT on November 3.
In short series, his principle is to aggressively execute prepared plays rather than overhaul batting stances, and to keep analytical information concise.
According to the 2024 KBO Yearbook, he has 63 Korean Series appearances and 57 hits, ranking 1st in both categories in the yearbook.

The man who has won the Korean Series as a player 7 times said, "I feel more nervous now than I did as a player." He is Samsung hitting coach Park Han-i (47), speaking ahead of Game 1 of the Korean Series against KT in Suwon on November 3. As a player, he appeared in 63 Korean Series games alone.

Park Han-i's Advice: Ease Tension, Play Aggressively, Keep Analysis Concise

The key is tension management. Before the game, in an interview with Ilgan Sports, Coach Park said his coaching principle is to ease players' tension. During short-series games, he said he will help players boldly execute the plays they have prepared, rather than overhauling their batting stances.

He said he will analyze opponents in detail but keep the information he passes to players concise. He also said the experience gained through the playoffs could help reduce Korean Series tension. The prescription from a former hitter who ranks 1st in Korean Series appearances in the 2024 KBO Yearbook was, in the end, to subtract.

Park Han-i's Yearbook Record for Most Korean Series Appearances (63 Games) and Why It Differs From the 65-Game Listing

The 2024 KBO Yearbook (printed edition, p. 473) lists Park Han-i with a career total of 63 games in the Korean Series, 57 hits and 38 runs. Both figures rank 1st in the yearbook. An Ilgan Sports article listed his appearances as 65 games, but Kukmin Ilbo reported in 2018, and the yearbook, both list 63 games. This ranking reflects tallies through the end of 2023, so the current 2026 ranking has not been confirmed.

Korean Series Career Records in the 2024 KBO Yearbook (as of the End of 2023)

Category	1st	2nd	Gap
Appearances (games)	Park Han-i 63	Jin Gap-yong 59	4 games
Hits (count)	Park Han-i 57	Choi Jeong 45	12 hits

Park Han-i, age 47, a one-club player with a total free-agent contract of 2.8 billion won

Park Han-i was born in Busan on January 28, 1979, and is 47 years old by international age. Samsung drafted him in 1997. After graduating from Dongguk University, he debuted on April 5, 2001, and played all 19 seasons with Samsung until his retirement in 2019. News1 reported that his regular-season career totals are 2127 games, a .294 batting average, 2174 hits, 146 home runs, and 906 RBIs. He also won the 2013 Korean Series MVP award and two Golden Glove awards.

He signed two free-agent contracts. OSEN reported that his first re-signing was a 2-year deal for the 2010–2011 seasons, worth 1 billion won in total. The second re-signing, after the 2013 season, was a 4-year deal worth 2.8 billion won (signing bonus of 1 billion won, annual salary of 450 million won), SBS reported, citing the team's announcement. Combined, the two contracts total 6 years and 3.8 billion won. After retiring the following year, he returned as a farm-team coach, then served as a futures hitting coach before reaching the first-team hitting coach role. His current coaching salary has not been confirmed.

This year, he wore No. 33 again, the number he wore as a player, after 7 seasons. The man who holds 63 Korean Series games, 57 hits, and 7 championships is now Samsung's hitting coach. The final result of Game 1 has not been confirmed (as of 19:00 on 2026.11.03). Before the game, the one-line message he gave his players was: "Enjoy being in this tension itself."

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How old is Park Han-i?

He was born on January 28, 1979, and as of November 3, 2026, he is 47 years old (international age). He is currently a first-team hitting coach for the Samsung Lions, and he wears No. 33 for the 2026 season.

Q. How many Korean Series games has Park Han-i appeared in?

According to the 2024 KBO Yearbook, he has 63 games, ranking 1st in the yearbook. Some interview articles list 65 games, but the official yearbook and Kukmin Ilbo's report both list 63 games.

Q. What was Park Han-i's total free-agent contract value?

His first free-agent re-signing was a 2-year deal for the 2010–2011 seasons, worth 1 billion won in total. His second re-signing, after the 2013 season, was a 4-year deal worth 2.8 billion won in total. Both were contracts from his playing career and have no bearing on his current coaching pay.

Related Official Sites

KBO Official Scoreboard — Check Korean Series Game 1 progress and the final result
KBO Park Han-i Official Career Records — Look up regular-season records by year
Samsung Lions Official Website — Coaching staff profiles and team news
KBO Official Website — Postseason schedules and records

Representative image · Archival photo · Not a photo of the current game in this article · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Choi2451), CC BY-SA 3.0