Lotte Has a Case to Keep Kim Tae-hyung, but Also a Case to Let Him Go
Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
At a glance
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Context piece
- Lotte Giants remain seventh after 113 games in 2026 and have again moved away from postseason contention.
- Kim Tae-hyung is in the final season of his contract after guiding Lotte to seventh place in both 2024 and 2025.
- The club therefore has grounds both to renew his contract and to part ways with him.
Lotte Giants have reached the point where either decision on manager Kim Tae-hyung could be justified. The team has again drifted away from the postseason, and Kim is in the final year of his contract.
Lotte finished seventh in 2024 and seventh again in 2025 under Kim. After 113 games in the 2026 season, the Giants were still seventh, although their postseason hopes remained mathematically alive.
That record gives Lotte a clear reason to consider a change. Yet the remaining possibility of reaching the postseason also provides an argument for giving Kim another chance. The club must weigh whether the results reflect a manager whose tenure should end or one who still merits a renewed contract.
About this summary
Originally published by Chosun Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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