SEOUL, For the past several days, Kim Ha-seong, the South Korean shortstop for the San Diego Padres, has been pulled in different directions, with his club in his native country for first Major League Baseball (MLB) games here. Now that the Padres are just a day away from facing the Los Angeles Dodgers to open the 2024 MLB season in Seoul, Kim said Tuesday he is ready to keep his focus on the field. Between talking to the media, participating in youth clinics and serving as a tour guide for his teammates, Kim has been wearing different hats. He has taken on those extra responsibilities with a sense of pride. "Obviously, it's been a little difficult. I've had to do some off-field stuff," Kim told reporters after the Padres' workout Tuesday at Gocheok Sky Dome, the venue for the historic, two-game Seoul Series. The Padres-Dodgers matchups will be the first MLB games ever in South Korea. "But I am the first Korean player to come to Seoul to play MLB games, and I consider this something I am supposed to do," Kim said. "I've been trying to do my best. And I am obviously proud and grateful that my teammates are enjoying Korea. But now I'll have to start focusing more on tomorrow's game." Kim is entering the fourth and final season of his four-year contract. He is also coming off his best MLB season, after capturing the National League (NL) Gold Glove at the utility position. He is the first Asian-born infielder to win the prestigious defensive award. One of the players Kim beat out was Mookie Betts of the Dodgers. Betts has won six Gold Gloves as an outfielder but will begin the 2024 season as the Dodgers' shortstop. Those two elite defenders will open the season in what should be an exciting shortstop matchup, though Kim tried to downplay that angle. He has said all along that Betts is on a different level and he shouldn't even be compared to the American veteran. "This will be just one of 162 games of the season. I think I will just have to try to do the best I can," Kim said. "Defense comes first at the shor tstop position, and so I will pay particular attention to defense." The Seoul Series was initially billed as the feel-good homecoming for Kim, who spent the final five years of his seven-season career in South Korea with Gocheok as his home stadium. But then the Dodgers stole Kim's thunder by signing the biggest free agent available, two-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, to a 10-year, US$700 million deal. Ohtani is wildly popular in South Korea, and it could be argued that Ohtani is the central figure of this series, as he's about to make his regular season Dodger debut, despite the presence of the South Korean star in Kim. Kim, for his part, didn't mind being pushed out of the spotlight. "I am just so honored and thankful that we're even having this Seoul Series," Kim said. "In sports, MVP-caliber players should obviously get the attention. And our team has a lot of great players, too. I think fans here will just appreciate the fact that MLB is playing games in Seoul." The Padres moved Kim around the diamond last season, having him spend time at second base, third base and shortstop. This year, they plan to keep him at shortstop and move the former shortstop Xander Bogaerts to second base. Asked about having traded places with his double play partner, Kim said, "He's such a great player. I just have to hold up my end of the bargain and we'll be even better." Bogaerts is one of multiple All-Stars on the Padres, with Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. also being part of this talented squad. The Padres vastly underachieved last year, though, finishing at 82-80 to rank third in the NL West. The Padres added top-end starter Dylan Cease in a recent trade, filling the void left by the reigning Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, who signed with the division rival San Francisco Giants earlier Tuesday. Kim said he is sensing a collective confidence in the clubhouse heading into the new season. "We're a tight bunch here. We've all worked so hard for this season and we believe we'll definitely have a better record than las t year," Kim said. "If we keep on battling, I think we'll be ultimately closer to the championship." Source: Yonhap News Agency