Former SSG Landers coach Kim Won-hyung (52) will return to the leadership field as a pitching coach for the Korean baseball team at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in 2026.메이저놀이터

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced on the 21st that the WBC national team coaches will assist Ryu Ji-hyun, and former coach Kim Won-hyung will join the national team as a pitching coach.

An official of the Korean national baseball team said, "If former coach Kim Won-hyung returns from a short U.S. training session, he will take over the pitching part of the national team." Currently, former coach Kim Won-hyung left for the U.S. on the 19th and is conducting a six-week "short-term training of pitcher leaders" at the Drive Line Center in Kent, Washington, and is scheduled to return home in May.

"It's an honor to prepare for WBC as a member of the national team," former coach Kim said in a phone call with Yonhap News before leaving the country. "I studied baseball hard while I was away from the field and I'm still trying to learn more."

"When I trained at Softbank Hawks in Japan last year, Japanese pitchers and leaders also showed interest in training methods for the U.S. driveline," he said. "If I combine what I learned in Korea and Japan with what I learned at the driveline center, wouldn't a better direction come out?"

"Baseball is like a living thing. It keeps evolving," Kim said. "I want to learn new training techniques, and I think I can learn training methods that can be used in short-term games."

Former manager Kim Won-hyung is a former "master pitcher" who pitched in a total of 545 games for the Ssangbangwool Raiders and SK Wyverns during his active career with 134 wins and 144 losses, 26 saves, 12 holds, and an ERA of 3.92. After retiring as a player, he gained experience as a pitching coach at SK, Lotte Giants, and Doosan Bears, and took over as manager of SSG Landers in 2021 to lead the team to an integrated championship in 2022.

Kim, who said goodbye to SSG with two years left in his contract after the end of the 2023 season, trained at Japan's Softbank last year, and this year he is expanding his knowledge in the United States.

Manager Ryu Ji-hyun recently offered Kim Won-hyung a position as a pitching coach for the national team, and praised Kim's ability as a pitching expert and his short-term experience. However, SSG decided to allow Kim Won-hyung to play in the national team at the request of KBO, although the remaining contract period with SSG was a matter of one year.

Former coach Kim Won-hyung expressed his gratitude to SSG and KBO, saying, "Many people helped me, so I joined the national team. I will repay you with good processes and results."