President Lee Jae-myung mourns death of baseball legend Paek In-chon, the only .400 hitter in history

President Lee Jae-myung expressed deep condolences Saturday over the death of Paek In-chon, a legend of Korean professional baseball.

Lee posted a tribute on X, formerly Twitter, saying, "I extend my respect and gratitude to a manager who was there from the very beginning of Korean pro baseball and illuminated an entire era. I pray for the repose of his soul."

"In 1982, the inaugural year of professional baseball, he rewrote the history of Korean pro baseball by posting a remarkable batting average of .412," Lee said. "That record, unbroken to this day, shows just what an extraordinary player he was."

Lee added that Paek had contributed to the development of Korean pro baseball not only as a player but also as a manager, guiding younger players for many years. "His burning passion for baseball will remain in our memories for a long time," he said.

Paek died Saturday at 6:41 a.m. at Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, while receiving treatment for a cerebral hemorrhage.

He was the only player to bat over .400 in Korean pro baseball history, posting a .412 average as a player-manager for MBC Cheongryong in the league's inaugural 1982 season. He played for 23 years across Korean and Japanese professional baseball.

After retiring as a player, Paek moved into coaching and went on to win the Korean Series as the first manager of the LG Twins.