South Korean slugger Kim Tae Kyun arrived in Japan on Tuesday for his first season with the Chiba Lotte Marines.
"I know that fans in both Japan and South Korea have high expectations for me. I will try not to let them down," the 27-year-old Kim said upon his arrival at Narita airport.
The first baseman hit cleanup in South Korea's run to a runnerup finish in the World Baseball Classic last March, batting .345 with three home runs and a tournament-high 11 RBIs.
"Foreign players usually don't report to camp until late, but I hope to fit in with the team soon," Kim said.
The former Hanwha Eagles star has signed with the Marines on a two-year deal with a club option for 2012.
Besides Lotte, a number of Japanese, South Korean and major league clubs have shown interest in signing him, including the Hanshin Tigers and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and the LG Twins in South Korea.