Seoul: The 2024 South Korean baseball league MVP, Kim Do-yeong, has been selected to represent the national team at the upcoming Asian Games. The announcement was made on Thursday, with Kim being one of the 24 players chosen by team manager Ryu Ji-hyun.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim, who earned the title of Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) regular-season MVP in 2024 while playing for the Kia Tigers, will now have the opportunity to compete on the international stage and potentially earn an exemption from mandatory military service. The Asian Games, set to be held in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, will run from September 19 to October 4, with the baseball tournament scheduled for September 21-27.
The South Korean team, aiming for their fifth consecutive gold medal in baseball at the Asian Games, is primarily composed of younger players. This strategic shift was initiated to avoid the previous criticism of selecting older players merely for military service exemptions. This year, 21 of the selected players are under 25, with the remaining three being "wild card" players aged between 25 to 29.
Kim, now 22, did not make the cut for the 2023 Asian Games but has since showcased an impressive comeback. After joining the prestigious 30-30 club in 2024 with 38 home runs and 40 steals, Kim overcame an injury-riddled 2025 season. This year, he has tied for first in home runs with 19 and ranks third in RBIs with 52 as of Wednesday.
Cho Kye-hyeon, head of the KBO's national baseball competitiveness enhancement committee, noted that the team had to be assembled well in advance of the tournament due to entry submission deadlines. This resulted in including some injured players expected to recover before the Games. The KBO regular season will continue during the Asian Games, potentially impacting teams as they lose key players during a critical stretch.
Manager Ryu Ji-hyun expressed gratitude to the KBO clubs for releasing their players at such a crucial time in the season. "We expect to see an incredibly tight race for postseason berths, and that's why we spent a great deal of time mulling over our picks," Ryu stated. "We wanted to achieve the right balance so that no team would be put at a disadvantage over others. It forced us to make some tough decisions."
Kim Do-yeong is among three players from the Tigers. Other clubs providing the maximum of three players include the Doosan Bears, Samsung Lions, SSG Landers, KT Wiz, and Lotte Giants. Meanwhile, the LG Twins and Hanwha Eagles will send two players each, while the NC Dinos and Kiwoom Heroes will each have one representative.
Manager Ryu's lineup consists of 11 pitchers, two catchers, seven infielders, and four outfielders. Returning from the 2023 Asian Games are Eagles infielder Roh Si-hwan, Dinos shortstop Kim Ju-won, and Giants outfielder Yoon Dong-hee. Additionally, players such as Kim Do-yeong, Twins infielder Moon Bo-gyeong, Landers reliever Jo Byeong-hyeon, and Bears starter Gwak Been, who led South Korea to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals in March, are included.
Notable absences include Wiz outfielder Ahn Hyun-min, the 2025 KBO Rookie of the Year, who has been sidelined since mid-April with a hamstring injury. Unlike previous years, no amateur players have been selected for the team. Cho Kye-hyeon explained, "We looked at some amateur players closely and tried to determine if they were significantly better than pros who were being considered. We ultimately concluded that the ones we named today can form the most competitive team."