SAN FRANCISCO — Jae-Gyun Hwang is one of the most recognizable baseball stars in Korea, a six-time All-Star in the KBO with Lotte Giants and he brings new artistry to the act of flipping a bat after a home run.

He’ll be a San Francisco Giant in short order.

The Giants are purchasing Hwang’s contract and adding him to the active roster, sources confirmed. He was flying from El Paso, Texas, where Triple-A Sacramento was playing a series. The Giants expected to activate him prior to Wednesday’s game and place Conor Gillaspie on the disabled list after his lower back flared up again.

Hwang will start at third base for Wednesday afternoon’s series finale against the Colorado Rockies, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

It will be the realization of a dream for Hwang, who turned down more lucrative offers to stay in Korea so that he could sign with the Giants and take a shot at reaching the major leagues. For that reason, Bochy said he was especially excited to welcome the power-hitting infielder.

“Oh, I am,” Bochy said. “This is one of the best parts of the game for a manager. It’s when you can welcome and shake hands or even hug a guy who’s worked hard for this opportunity. We’ve had a couple (debuts) already, but for Jae, he’s worked hard and given up a lot to pursue this. I’ll be as happy as he is to see him here.”

The key date was July 1. That is when Hwang could opt out of his Triple-A contract, which he had expressed his intent to do. With KBO clubs continuing to keep in touch, there was little reason not to use the leverage available to him.

Hwang, 29, is a third baseman who has played some first base and received limited exposure in left field. His power bat off the bench could be intriguing for a team that has a lack of right-handed reserve pop after designating Aaron Hill for assignment.

There is no guarantee he will get an extended look. The club also has third baseman Ryder Jones, who was just called up on Friday and is still chasing his first big league hit.

If the Giants were to option Hwang back to Sacramento, then his opt-out would be rendered moot. But Giants officials have indicated that they wouldn’t do that to a player that is so respected and admired.

For now, Hwang’s debut is big news. The Giants were bracing for a contingent of international reporters, and the game will be broadcast live in Korea even though it will begin at 4:45 a.m. there.

Hwang remains a huge celebrity in Korea.

“It was pretty incredible,” said right-hander Kyle Crick, who played with Hwang at Sacramento before the Giants called him up June 20. “We would go to Korean barbecue restaurants and walk in and people there would know exactly who Jae was. They recognized him on the spot, almost like it was A-Rod walking in. They’d set up a special VIP table for us. It was ridiculous.”

Hwang is hitting .287/.333/.476 for Sacramento, and he has acknowledged pressing early in the season while he was trying to showcase his power. He has seven home runs since hitting his first on May 13, and has shown greater patience at the plate in recent weeks.

First impressions from spring counted for something, too. The players voted Hwang as the Barney Nugent Award winner, honoring the most impressive player who was appearing in his first major league camp. Not only did he perform well against big league pitchers in Arizona, but he showed the ability to laugh at himself when he arrived at the ballpark on St. Patrick’s Day wearing a ridiculous amount of green.

“He was quite the personality in spring training,” Hunter Pence said. “He was a fun guy to be around. Anybody who takes that kind of risk to chase down his dream, it’s inspiring. I look forward to seeing him come up here and join our team. I think we’ll all welcome him.”