Lee Jung-hoo responds to airport delay incident: Expresses some concern but resolved smoothly, will focus on preparations for the new season

San Francisco Giants' Korean outfielder Lee Jung-hoo recently attended a fan event where he gave his first detailed response to the brief delay he experienced at Los Angeles International Airport upon returning to the US. He stated the entire process lasted about four hours; although he was "somewhat worried" due to the unexpected situation, it was ultimately resolved successfully with assistance from multiple parties. He will now fully concentrate on spring training for the new season and preparing with the Korean team for the World Baseball Classic.

After returning to Korea following last season, Lee Jung-hoo confirmed in mid-January that he would represent Korea in the Classic. While returning early to the US for preseason training, he was briefly held up at Los Angeles airport due to a "document issue." His agent Scott Boras clarified that the matter was unrelated to politics. With coordination from the team and US congressional offices, Lee was allowed entry after four hours, though his accompanying translator was denied entry and sent back to Korea due to passport problems.

Reflecting on the experience, Lee Jung-hoo said, "Many people offered help, and the matter was ultimately resolved satisfactorily. Since it was my first time facing such a situation, I was indeed a bit worried, but the outcome was positive." He explained that the entry procedure was the same as usual, "There was probably a minor issue in the process, which caused me to stay at the airport for four hours. Fortunately, it didn’t cause any bigger problems."

Regarding the specific document issues and whether politics were involved, Lee Jung-hoo responded cautiously: "From what I understand, there was just a minor mistake in the entry paperwork. The translator had passport-related problems." After this ordeal, he has successfully reunited with the team. During the offseason, Lee has continued training according to the team’s plan, focusing especially on defense practice: "In Korea, I concentrated on improving my defense. Since hitting performance can fluctuate, I don’t want to have major inconsistencies on the defensive side."