Jung Ho Kang has been suspended for one year by the Korea Baseball Organization for multiple drunken driving offenses.

Kang, 33, was also ordered to complete 300 hours of community service during Monday's hearing, which he did not attend because he is in the United States.

His suspension will begin once he signs with a KBO team. The Kiwoom Heroes, for whom he played during his last season in the league in 2014 when they were the Nexen Heroes, still own his rights.

Kang, who was released by the Pirates last year after four seasons with the team, applied for reinstatement to the KBO from the league's voluntary retired list last week.

Major League Baseball expects to present a return-to-play proposal to the MLB Players Association within a week.

Teams have begun to encourage players to prepare for a "spring" training that could begin in mid-June with the season beginning in early July.

There are a significant number of hurdles remaining and the return dates in June and July are considered overly optimistic. 

General managers and managers from at least a dozen teams have reached out to players to suggest that they ramp up baseball activities.