South Korea announces Asian Games baseball roster, including 16 players yet to complete military service

The roster for the South Korean baseball team competing in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has been finalized, featuring prominent players such as Kim Do-young of the Kia Tigers and Moon Bo-kyung of the LG Twins. The team, led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, consists of 24 players, with 21 under the age of 25 and three wild card selections: Kwak Bin, Moon Bo-kyung, and Noh Si-hwan.

The selection process considered the ongoing professional league schedule, with a maximum of three players chosen from any single team to minimize disruption. Manager Ryu Ji-hyun emphasized the difficulty of selection due to the competitive nature of the KBO league this season, aiming for a balance that considers both fan expectations and team dynamics.

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This year, with an unprecedented battle for rankings expected, I put a lot of thought into selecting the national team. Considering fan consensus and team balance, I tried to achieve objective balance without any team suffering a disadvantage.

Notably, 16 players on the roster, including Kim Do-young, Lee Jae-hyun of the Samsung Lions, and Moon Hyun-bin of the Hanwha Eagles, have yet to fulfill their mandatory military service requirements. This aspect is significant as military service exemption is often a key benefit for athletes achieving success in international competitions like the Asian Games.

South Korea has a dominant record in Asian Games baseball, having won gold medals for the past four consecutive tournaments since the 2010 Guangzhou Games. The team is aiming for its fifth consecutive gold medal in Aichi-Nagoya, with Taiwan identified as their main competitor. Japan is expected to field a team primarily composed of amateur and independent league players.

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Considering that the league will not be interrupted, we selected a maximum of three players per team. We also included players who currently have minor injuries in the roster.