This year's World Baseball Classic South Korea national team manager, Ryu Ji-hyun, has been selected to lead the national team for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The Korea Baseball Softball Association announced Wednesday that Ryu, who also previously managed the LG Twins, was chosen as manager of the national team for the upcoming Asian Games following an open recruitment process for coaches to be dispatched to international competitions across age groups.
The association’s Performance Enhancement Committee conducted interviews and evaluations, with Ryu receiving positive assessments across key criteria, including his management plan, game analysis capabilities and leadership.
After a thorough review, the committee plans to finalize the appointment through a board resolution, followed by approval from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee.
Once confirmed, Ryu will lead the national team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, to be held in Japan from Sept. 21 to 27, and will oversee the team through the conclusion of the tournament with the aim of securing a gold medal.
KBSA President Yang Hae-young said the selection process prioritized transparency and fairness in identifying a capable leader, adding that once the remaining approval procedures are complete, the association will move swiftly to assemble the coaching staff and finalize the player roster as part of full-scale preparations for the tournament.
(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)
khnews@heraldcorp.com
