..my philosophy is rather test than guess....Fuel pump is an expensive item..and taking it off is not necessarily easy..screws can shear off in their hole...or simply erode with the screwdriver..depends where you live and the extent of corrosion...(by the way, $200 for the sporty is a bargain, whatever the odds.)...so if you could have a test for fuel pump pressure, not just at idle, but also when you throttle up..to see if pressure goes down as demand increases... it should not, and pressure minimum is 35 psi. The test link
www.avigex.ca/kia/fuelpressuretest.pdf
Any mechancs around should have a tester and the test is a matter of minutes so it is inexpensive if it avoids changing a $250 item.
..and testing for the codes is reported done for free at Autozone...though '96 might be "not standard"..not sure if it can be read by other than KIA shop....
IN any case, changing the spark plugs is something you can do for less than $20...instructions here:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=571775