I now go to the baseball stadium four to five days a week as a commentator rather than a player. Baseball is still part of my daily life, and I love it. Since I retired due to an injury, I initially thought about taking a break from baseball. But I found I couldn’t stay away because I missed it so much. Once I returned, I wanted to stay close to the game. I worked hard during my playing days to play well, and now I’m focused on properly delivering the games. When I heard I’d become a New Beauty Icon, I made a commitment to work even harder. I think people are recognizing me because I’m putting effort into what I can do and what I do well.

I’m not the Almighty, so I don’t get everything right. But I get enough right that people call it “Jakdu commentary,” likening it to a shaman standing on ritual knives. I approach my commentary as if I’m watching baseball with close friends, which is probably why people find my style comfortable. Non-player friends and acquaintances often asked me about baseball during my playing days. Based on what I knew, I would answer their questions in detail, and those experiences are helping me now. Perhaps I’ve developed an intuition for what viewers might be curious about in certain situations. I’m always cautious, though. Since every game is broadcast live, I worry about my comments causing ripples. I commentate with tension, trying not to make mistakes, but mentally I’m more at ease than when I was a player, which allows me to see things from a broader perspective and make various predictions. I strive to be approachable by thinking of myself as a fellow baseball fan, explaining the game as we watch together.

There’s hardly any difference. The work has changed, but handling a schedule of four or five games a week is similar. So far, my daily routine follows the same pattern as during my playing days. I should be exercising more, but the games end late at night, so I haven’t been able to. I plan to start again soon for my health, doing lots of cardio and light strength training.

I didn’t have a goal to create a distinctive style. When I first entered the pros, I was thinking about how to survive. I found what I could do well to survive, which became my style. When junior players come to me for advice, I tell them this: The baseball field is a battlefield, and you must maximize your strengths to survive. That eventually becomes your unique color that only you possess. I started as a pinch runner and worked my way up to becoming the stolen base king. After joining the team, I looked at myself objectively, let go of some expectations, and found what I could excel at. If you only focus on what everyone else is doing, what everyone else wants, or aim too high, you’ll inevitably fall behind in the survival competition. If you cannot hit home runs but obsess over extra-base hits and home runs, you’ll just be running in place.

I was also very conscious of the crowd when I was younger. But I noticed that fans’ perception of me changed based on my results. As I gained experience year after year, I decided not to be too conscious of the fans’ gaze. I focused simply on doing my best to achieve favorable results, believing recognition would follow once results appeared. I worked hard on the task at hand. I built my skills around what I was good at and honed those abilities.

After retiring, I never imagined I would become a commentator. I did some entertainment shows and broadcasting, and then SPOTV contacted me looking for someone who could commentate with a bright, somewhat entertaining style. That’s how the opportunity came, and I seized it. It wasn’t like I was determined to become a commentator or had planned for it. But once I was given the responsibility, I worked hard at it. Good positions and offers will follow if you focus on what you can do now. Even if good results don’t always come, someone is always watching your process of effort.

You have to keep at it until it works. Stay steady and keep moving forward. Of course, it isn’t easy, and sometimes you want to give up, but if you keep going, you’ll eventually see other paths open up. I’m a commentator now, but this wasn’t the direction I initially planned to take. Yet I got this unexpected opportunity as a commentator. If I work hard at this, another opportunity will come. Whatever it is, I hope you don’t give up.

The game that secured my fourth consecutive stolen base title is the most memorable. That year, I was playing through back pain. I fell behind in stolen bases by six or seven, and my condition wasn’t good. I thought pushing too hard wouldn’t help. I have naturally positive energy. I decided to let it go and instead set a goal of playing every game. As I focused on one game at a time while enduring the pain, I started catching up in stolen bases.

I believe positive energy reveals my beauty. So even when things are tough, I always try to maintain a bright energy and smile often.

It’s about not losing confidence. I believe energy starts with self-confidence. There was a moment when I became a professional baseball player that I lost some shyness and became more confident. As I went through a diligent process, my confidence built up, and with that confidence, I naturally became more positive.

There are many, but if I had to choose one, I’d like to talk about Jihwan Oh of the LG Twins. He endured tough times dealing with enormous pressure from his mistakes in his early days. But he overcame those hardships and is now at the top of his game. Having witnessed his journey of overcoming those difficulties, I think he’s remarkable, even though he’s younger than me. That process requires confidence. While criticized, he maintained his self-confidence and self-affirmation to believe he could succeed. He became the most brilliant person in his position and eventually won over the hearts of the fans who had criticized him. I think this is what true beauty is all about.

If I had to describe this year’s professional baseball in one phrase, it would be “chaotic competition.” It’s truly unpredictable. At the beginning of the season, everyone agreed that the Kia Tigers were the dominant team. But now they’re in the middle of the standings, and the Hanwha Eagles have taken first place with consecutive wins. The point to watch this year is that we don’t know what will happen, making it even more exciting. Since the teams’ strengths are reasonably similar, final standings will likely be determined by which teams can string together winning streaks and which suffer losing streaks. Please make sure to watch until the end.

My goal has always been to live the present faithfully. As a player, it was about training hard every day and giving my best in games; now, it’s about being a good commentator. If I have a dream, well, the ultimate destination for all baseball players is to become a professional baseball manager. I really want to do that someday. To get there, I need to excel at my current job as a commentator. That might create an opportunity, or even if it doesn’t, I believe my diligent process will lead me to a good place.

I can feel that baseball is truly loved by many. The demographic of baseball fans has also diversified. While there used to be many fans who analyzed baseball professionally, nowadays, many people come to the stadium to unwind. I hope more people will come to the open-air stadium, have a refreshing beer, relieve stress, and find healing. I want the baseball stadium to be like an oasis where people can momentarily forget their difficult and painful everyday lives. It’s exciting to cheer for someone at the top of your lungs. Like a friend or neighbor, I’ll always be there with you during those times.

Times are tough for many people these days. It might sound cliché, but if you endure and persevere just a little more during difficult times, a new path will definitely open up. When I retired from baseball, I had no idea I would become a commentator. But as I lived each day faithfully, a new path opened up. Don’t give up, have confidence in yourself, and take care of yourself. I think self-confidence isn’t given by others; it’s something you give yourself. If you instill confidence in yourself and fill yourself with positive energy, you can do well; good things will happen, including finding your unique beauty. Stay strong, and I’m rooting for all of you searching for your authentic beauty, your New Beauty!