Accra:The KT Wiz, champions of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) regular season, have rewarded their manager, Lee Kang-chul, with a historic contract extension.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee has signed a new three-year deal valued at 3.4 billion won (approximately US$2.6 million), which makes him the highest-paid manager in the history of the KBO. This contract includes an annual salary of 800 million won and a signing bonus of 1 billion won, surpassing the previous record set by LG Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb's three-year, 3 billion-won agreement last November.
Lee's previous contract, worth 2.4 billion won over three years, was due to expire at the end of this season. Since taking charge of the Wiz in 2019, Lee has led the team to their first postseason in 2020 and their inaugural Korean Series championship in 2021. This season, the Wiz achieved a franchise-record 90 wins, securing first place in the regular season and a direct entry to the Korean Series, set to commence on November 2.
Under Lee's leadership, the Wiz have reached the postseason six times out of eight seasons. The 60-year-old manager has accumulated 618 wins, 501 losses, and 29 ties over 1,148 regular-season games with the team. Lee expressed his gratitude to the Wiz management for their support and the generous contract.
"Our season is not over yet, and I will try to put the team at the top at the end," he stated. "I will also try to develop this team into a perennial contender."