MLB's Ryu Hyun-jin to join Bosingak bell-ringing event

South Korean left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin, who recently signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, plans to participate in this week's Bosingak bell-ringing ceremony, a Seoul city official said Sunday.

The annual ceremony is held at the Bosingak belfry in Jonggak, central Seoul, as a New Year's Eve celebration to greet the new year.

Ryu plans to ring the bell, along with 11 other civilian representatives, including Pengsoo, a popular penguin character, at the start of New Year's Day.

Ryu initially had a scheduling problem. But he agreed to join the ceremony after wrapping up the contract process with the baseball team, according to the official.

Ryu signed a four-year deal, worth $80 million, with the team.

Ryu led Major League Baseball with a 2.32 ERA in 2019 while pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he finished second in the National League Cy Young Award voting. Ryu was also the NL starter at the All-Star Game and was the biggest name left in the pitching free agent market this winter. (Yonhap)