Pirates minor leaguer heads to South Korea to face domestic violence probe

Pittsburgh Pirates minor-league shortstop Ji-hwan Bae has returned to Daegu, South Korea, to cooperate with police after his ex-girlfriend said he physically assaulted her, reports Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic.

Bae's ex-girlfriend, Seul-Gi Kim, filed a police report earlier this week claiming Bae slapped, choked, and kicked her, according to Sports Chosun.

"Bae Ji-hwan hit me," the 18-year-old Kim told The Athletic on Friday in a text message. "He hit me in Daegu. The first time I was (physically) abused was on New Year's Eve (in 2017). There (also) was verbal abuse. Before the actual physical abuse, I was under critical stress due to him and his family. His family and he repeatedly asked me to 'endure' him because he is a baseball player and he needs support."

Bae, also 18, was given permission by the Pirates to leave the team's training complex in Bradenton, Fla., so he could be questioned by police.

"Ji-hwan Bae informed us that a former girlfriend in South Korea has accused him of domestic violence," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington told The Athletic via email. "Pursuant to Major League Baseball's policy on such matters, we immediately reported this information to Major League Baseball's Department of Investigation. The Pirates are cooperating fully with MLB's review. Bae has decided to return to South Korea to address these allegations directly. At this point, consistent with MLB's policy, Bae is permitted to participate in baseball activities during this review."

Bae was signed by the Pirates for $1.2 million in March, which is the second-largest international signing in franchise history.