KOREA FOUNDATION

Hello! Please introduce yourself to the readers of the ASEAN Culture House Monthly.

Hello. I am RJ Abarrientos, and I am a point guard for Ulsan Hyundai Mobis. Our team is like family to me. It's great to have players with whom I can always chat comfortably on and off the court, and it's an honor to be playing with them.

I heard you won the Rookie Award at KBL. Congratulations!

I want to express my gratitude to my team mate sand fans for helping me receive the Rookie Award. I think it will empower me so much in playing basketball in the future. It's the same for all the players, but even in a season where there were no matches, I trained every day to refine my skills and improve my performance to make up for my shortcomings. I think that's why I was able to shine in the games and receive the Rookie Award.

What was the best thing about living in Korea?

The best thing about playing basketball in Korea is jeong(a Korean term for affection between people who share a close relationship). The support of the fans gave me energy, and the coach and the coaching staff always gave me strong guidance and helped me adapt to Korea.

Finally, a word to the readers of the ASEAN Culture House Monthly, please.

First of all, I’d like to say ‘thank you’ to the fans for their love and support of the Ulsan Hyundai Mobis team and professional basketball. I often meet young fans in the stadium who say, “My dream is to become a basketball player. I want to be a great basketball player like you.” Every time I hear it, it motivates me to work harder. I'll continue to do my best without giving up. Thank you for your support!