Students lined all the way outside the library auditorium to see one of Korea’s all-time baseball stars. Park Chan Ho, current Hanwha Eagles and former Major League Baseball pitcher gave a special lecture in front of a packed-house October 25th. As seats filled, students stood and sat in aisles to get a glimpse this very successful athlete and businessman.
Park summed up his coveted baseball career as it began with the LA Dodgers at just 21 years old. He had spent his glory days in Los Angeles, setting a Korean record, winning 124 games in Major League Baseball. Chanho Park is the envy of many baseball players in Korea.
The lecture went on with his life story. He gave the Woosong students helpful advice for their future while sharing the tools that made him successful, such as time management- crucial to students.
With ten minutes left in the lecture, he started to accept various questions from the students. Some of questions were pretty hard to answer for Chanho Park and he commented on how these students were just as professional as journalists he has faced here and in North America. Park fielded questions dealing with his future plans, what he might have done if he didn’t turn pro baseball player and advice for teammate and Korean baseball sensation, Ryu Hyun Jin, who appears headed to play at the highest level- MLB. To the surprise of many, the crowd learned that Park thought he “might have worked as a judge, gangster or something else.”
Woosong students with varying degrees of interest in Park and baseball, walked away with new opinions and admiration after the lecture. Park impacted his audience. “Honestly, I was surprised to see Chanho Park who was really famous in MLB. And he was more well-built than I thought. He told students of his experiences,” explained Dongjun Seo.
Park may have also helped ticket sales for his team while inspiring some too. “I was not a huge fan of baseball. However, he gave me confidence and courage.
So I thought I’m going to see a baseball game next year. I didn’t know what he did before coming back to Korea. 
But I realized he was such a fabulous baseball player in the past. So I started respecting him,” said Jungah Kim, Woosong student.
As the lecture ended, Park buttoned his jacket and hurried out, after a swarm of students approached the tall athlete. He signed a few autographs and stood for a few photos. Nobody knows where his baseball future will lead. At 39, he walked out of the Woosong Library in the twilight of his career; students may have seen the last of Chanho Park the player. However, his words have just begun to impact some new followers.
Staff writer Seunghwan Jung.
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