Seoul: South Korea has replaced an injured catcher for the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Tuesday that NC Dinos catcher Kim Hyung-jun will take over from Hanwha Eagles backstop Choi Jae-hoon, who suffered a broken finger during his club's spring training in Australia on Sunday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Eagles stated that Choi would be out for three to four weeks, essentially ruling him out for the March 5-17 WBC. South Korea only selected two catchers, with Park Dong-won of the LG Twins being the other. Kim, 26, won the KBO Fielding Award last season for his defensive prowess and also brings some pop with his bat -- with 17 home runs in 2024 and 18 more in 2025.
Kim was initially left off the WBC roster as he was recovering from an offseason hand surgery, but the Dinos said he will be healthy enough to represent the country next month. Internationally, Kim has played at the 2023 Asian Games, 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship, and the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12.
Kim expressed his excitement by saying, "I am so happy and honored to represent the country at a tournament as big as the WBC. I've always wanted to play at that event. I will always remember the significance of wearing the national team jersey. My hand is in great shape, and I've been working really hard at our camp to get ready for the season. I am looking forward to catching new pitchers with the national team."
Managed by Ryu Ji-hyun, South Korea will open training camp in Okinawa, Japan, later this month.