Chu Shin-soo supports paraplegic Kim Dong-hyun “I told them not to tell anyone…”

Baseball player Choo Shin-soo (40-SSG Landers) said he “doesn’t think it’s anything to brag about” when it was revealed that he had agreed to sponsor the full cost of paraplegic fighter Kim Dong-hyun (35-actual name Ma Dong-hyun)’s rehabilitation.

“It’s a very personal thing, so I told him, ‘Let’s keep it between us,'” Choo Shin-soo said in an interview with Yonhap on the 27th, adding, “There are many people who do better things. On the contrary, there are many things I felt after meeting Kim Dong-hyun. I’m grateful for that.”

Dong Hyun Kim competed in the UFC, an American mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation. Although his real name is Kim Dong-hyun, he was known as Ma Dong-hyun, after the first letter of his nickname, “Maestro,” because he shares the same name as South Korean MMA icon Kim Dong-hyun. Kim was diagnosed with cervical myelopathy late last year.안전놀이터

“Even though we are different athletes, we had a lot of empathy for each other as athletes,” says Choo. After watching documentaries, I felt like supporting him and asked to meet him,” he said. “When I met him in person and talked to him, I realised that he had a really good personality.”

Choo Shin-soo said, “Kim Dong-hyun recently had his first child. When I had my first child (Chu Mubin-kun), I wasn’t financially well off either,” he said, adding, “Kim Dong-hyun wants to be a proud family man. I had my first child when I was in the minor and major leagues, and I played harder for my family. I thought about how I could help him and decided to support his rehabilitation (which costs about $1 million per month).” Kim has a daughter who is about 200 days old.

On the 22nd, Kim posted on Instagram, “I had lunch with Korea’s best batsman, Shin-soo Choo, who contacted me after hearing my news,” and said, “Shin-soo Choo decided to sponsor my rehabilitation for five years. He doesn’t like to talk about it, but I want to tell you this,” he wrote.

Shin-soo Choo, who has donated more than 2 billion won, said, “I went to the United States empty-handed and gained a lot from baseball. I thought I should give back,” he wrote, adding, “Although baseball juniors are my first priority, I don’t think I need to choose a ‘field’ where I can help. I’ve gained a lot from baseball, but I’ve also been loved by fans in other professions. My family, including my wife, is also very active in giving back. I want to give back to many people what my family has received.”