Concert marks 15th anniversary of legendary pitcher's death

Event pays tribute to his 92-year-old mother under theme of filial devotion

Promotional poster for the Choi Dong-won 15th anniversary memorial concert held at Busan City Hall's main auditorium Monday [Choi Dong-won Memorial Foundation]
Promotional poster for the Choi Dong-won 15th anniversary memorial concert held at Busan City Hall's main auditorium Monday [Choi Dong-won Memorial Foundation]

A memorial concert honoring the late pitcher Choi Dong-won — the "eternal ace" who led the Lotte Giants to their first championship by going 4-1 in five appearances during the 1984 Korean Series, an unmatched feat in professional baseball history — was held Monday afternoon at the main auditorium of Busan City Hall. The event was titled "Ma, Ham Haeboipsideo," a Busan dialect phrase meaning "Let's give it a shot."

Organized by the Choi Dong-won Memorial Foundation and sponsored by former baseball star Lee Dae-ho, the Korea Baseball Organization, Daesun Distilling and Busan Bank, the concert was the first of its kind in the 15 years since Choi's death. It was conceived to honor his fierce competitive spirit and the selfless dedication he showed for his team and teammates.

The 600-seat venue was filled to capacity. The concert centered on the theme of filial devotion, paying tribute to Choi's 92-year-old mother, Kim Jeong-ja, who has thrown ceremonial first pitches at Sajik Stadium — where her son once took the mound — and donated her own money to fund scholarships for promising young baseball players.

Starting at 3 p.m., ahead of the main performance, original Lotte Giants member Kim Yong-cheol, catcher Han Mun-yeon and 1992 championship hero Yeom Jong-seok held a legends fan signing event. A memorial ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of Choi's death followed.

During the main concert, violinist Baek Gyeong-ui performed "Eternal Pitch," a dedication piece evoking Choi's pitching form, while Oh Sin-jeong — a flutist and Choi's cousin who is a professor at Inje University — played Tchaikovsky's "Lensky's Aria" and Gounod's "Venice Festival."

Pop pianist Kwon To-maen performed an improvisational set alongside singer Woo Sun-sil, who sang "Lost Umbrella." The Yongma Chorus, an alumni choir made up of graduates from Choi's alma mater in South Gyeongsang Province, then took the stage and performed "Donghang" and other songs the late pitcher had loved.

The concert closed with young baseball hopefuls, the full cast and members of the public joining together on stage to sing "Busan Seagull" and "Come Back to Busan Port," the signature Lotte Giants fan anthems, filling the hall with energy. All in attendance then joined in a chorus of "Mother's Grace," a song of gratitude to one's mother, bringing the evening to an emotional finale.

Cho Woo-hyeon, chairman of the Choi Dong-won Memorial Foundation, said he hoped the event would serve as "a meaningful occasion to remember the late pitcher's warm dedication — always looking out for teammates who were struggling — and to offer hope and comfort to citizens living through an intensely competitive age."


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com