Jung Ho Kang says that he’s a changed man following his MLB reinstatement.
Speaking with the American media for the first time since his third DUI arrest in his native South Korea, the Pittsburgh Pirates infielder was adamant that he was done drinking.
“Obviously, I’m not touching a drop of alcohol moving forward,” said Kang through his interpreter, per Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The 31-year-old also said that he was “very regretful” for the “ill-informed decision” of not disclosing his first two DUIs to either his former Korean team or the Pirates. He then added that he made the decision to quit drinking upon that third arrest.
Kang, who made his season debut for High-A Bradenton earlier this week, was granted his U.S. work visa in April in a development that surprised many. He had been out of the league since his 21-homer season for the Pirates in 2016, but it sounds like Kang has taken the first step towards redeeming himself.
