Yoon Suk-min obsessed with lizards: Owns 50, including one worth 7 million won

Former baseball player Yoon Suk-min has revealed an extraordinary hobby following his retirement. What began from his young son's interest in reptiles has evolved into professional breeding on a scale of 50 individuals. A dedicated space for lizards has been prepared within his home, and he demonstrated a sophisticated management system, dividing spaces for females, males, and babies according to the characteristics of each individual.

In the 453rd episode of the SBS variety show 'Same Bed, Different Dreams 2: You Are My Destiny' broadcast on the 25th, the daily life of Yoon Suk-min and his wife was revealed. During the broadcast, Yoon disclosed his unexpected hobby, stating that he is raising a significant number of lizards.

Yoon began raising lizards around May 2025. The catalyst was his eldest child's interest in reptiles. While it was initially a hobby to satisfy the child's curiosity, Yoon himself became more deeply immersed as time passed.

"That was the start, and my interest grew and became fun," he explained, noting that the number has now increased to as many as 50. This has moved beyond simply keeping a few as pets to a stage where he directly manages breeding and individual care.

The scenes shown inside the house reflected this change. Yoon was utilizing one section of his house essentially as a dedicated breeding space for lizards. Multiple enclosures were arranged in layers, reminiscent of a 'lizard apartment,' and various supplies needed for breeding, such as food and cleaning tools, were systematically organized. An incubator required for hatching was also separately prepared.

Yoon stated that he categorizes the breeding environment based on the growth stage and gender of the individuals. "I separate them into female sections, male sections, and baby sections to monitor them," he explained, meaning he manages the space by subdividing the individuals. This is done to consider the health and breeding environment of the lizards.

His wife also expressed surprise at her husband's immersion. "My husband's personality is that once he gets into something, he goes all the way," she said, adding, "I never imagined it would be lizards."\

This can be interpreted as Yoon's tendency to focus intensely on a single field during his athlete days being projected onto a completely different subject after retirement.

In fact, Yoon's interest has expanded beyond simple rearing to breeding. Anticipating that the number of individuals will increase further, he stated, "I think the number of individuals will likely increase from next year," and added, "I am now thinking about offering them for adoption."\

The economic value was also significant. Regarding some of the lizards he owns, Yoon explained, "Most of the adult lizards I have have adoption prices in the triple digits." Here, 'triple digits' refers to prices in the millions of won. In particular, he surprised the cast by revealing that the individual he cherishes most has a current market value of approximately 7 million won.

Yoon described this as being "about the price of a decent luxury bag," but emphasized that he does not raise lizards simply looking at the price. This is because, in the reptile market where value varies depending on the genetic characteristics, color, and shape of the individual, the process of stably raising and breeding high-priced individuals requires considerable interest and expertise.

Yoon also mentioned the difficulties of breeding. "Lizard breeding is not easy," he said, explaining that during the hatching process, eggs sometimes fail to hatch properly or hatchlings die because they cannot emerge from the egg.

However, he expressed confidence in his thorough management, stating, "That has never happened once in my enclosures." This implies that he is increasing the breeding success rate by meticulously managing temperature, humidity, food, and the breeding environment.

During his baseball career, Yoon was a representative pitcher for the KIA Tigers and established himself as one of the players symbolizing Korean professional baseball. He also participated in several international competitions as a national representative, and in 2011, he left his mark as a top-tier pitcher in the KBO League by achieving the pitcher's Triple Crown. Since his retirement in 2019, he has been revealing a daily life different from his player days through various broadcasts and variety programs.

This lizard-rearing hobby is another example showing how Yoon's life has changed since retirement. The fact that a hobby starting from a young child's interest has developed into large-scale rearing and breeding, and further expanded into a professional field considering adoption, is drawing significant attention as his new 'object of immersion.'

In particular, it is interesting that Yoon, who once showed top-tier concentration and competitive spirit on the mound, is now pouring that same passion into observing and breeding small creatures in his breeding enclosures.