Baseball monster Ryu Hyun-jin back in the game

Director Bong Joon-ho’s 2006 film “The Host” was a sensation in the domestic and foreign film industry.

SONG JI-HOONThe author is a sports news reporter for the JoongAng Ilbo.

Director Bong Joon-ho’s 2006 film “The Host” was a sensation in the domestic and foreign film industry. The realistic video of a monster jumping out of the water of the Han River, speeding down the hill and attacking people recklessly was spectacular.

With a solid plot and superb acting, the movie attracted 10 million viewers and won best film and acting awards at various film festivals. It was a kind of trigger for the start of the "Korean Wave," which has now established itself as a trend in global cultural content. Bong has gone on to take over Hollywood with "Parasite."

On August 2, a monster appeared on the Major League Baseball (MLB) field. “Korean Monster” Ryu Hyun-jin (36) took the mound as a starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Center in Toronto, Canada. It is Ryu's first game since returning from a 426-day hiatus after undergoing ligament surgery on the left elbow last year.

The surgery was his first in 18 years after an elbow ligament surgery in 2004 as a second-year student at Dongsan High School. Although having a second surgery on the same spot in his mid-30s is a gamble for his athletic life, Ryu decided to undergo surgery. He lost 13 kilograms during the rehabilitation period and was determined to return.

If the movie “Host” led K-culture, the baseball monster underpinned K sports. Unlike Park Chan-ho, who went straight to the big league after college baseball, Ryu entered the Major League via the posting system after proving his caliber in the KBO league. He helped to reaffirm that KBO players are reliable, allowing KBO players such as Kang Jung-ho, Park Byung-ho, Kim Kwang-hyun, Kim Hyun-soo, Yang Hyun-jong, and Kim Ha-sung to enter the big league one after another.

Maybe it's just me, but Ryu's sweat and tears that he shed while preparing for the second chapter of Major League Baseball must not be just to restore his personal pride. As the pioneer connecting KBO with MLB, his sense of responsibility to show a solid presence must have played a role.

Ryu's performance in the first game fell short of expectations. He had nine hits and four runs in five innings and 80 pitches. However, one game alone cannot predict the season's final result. I must confess that I found “Host” a bit boring until the monster appeared on the bank of the Han River.