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Veteran KBO pitchers Kim, Noh change meaning of 'Young 40' from insult to inspiration

Published: 01 Jan. 2026, 15:26

Noh Kyung-eun of the SSG Landers, left, and Kim Jin-sung of LG Twins, pose for a photo during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo on Dec. 16, 2025. [KANG JUNG-HYUN]

The phrase “Young 40” often carries a note of ridicule, referring to those who try too hard to appear young. On the mound, however, Noh Kyoung-eun and Kim Jin-sung are giving it a different meaning, pitching deep into long careers that most players never achieve.

On a recent afternoon in Seoul, Noh of the SSG Landers and Kim of the LG Twins - two veteran pitchers still at work long after most of their peers have stepped away - met with the JoongAng Ilbo for an interview. Noh is 42. Kim is 41. For the new year, they said they wanted to pass along a simple message: Do not give up.

They also wanted to show their peers something else: Even in their 40s, it is still possible.

Noh and Kim are a lot older than high school rookies entering the league this year. But on the field, the gap barely shows.

Noh appeared in 77 games this year, posting a 2.14 ERA and recording 35 holds. He led the league, extending his own record as its oldest holds leader. Kim was close enough to make it interesting.

“I almost lost it,” Noh said, laughing.

Kim had reason to joke back.

Noh Kyung-eun of the SSG Landers thanks his family and fans after being named Reliever of the Year at the Real Glove Awards ceremony at Grand Walkerhill Seoul hotel in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, on Dec. 1, 2025. [YONHAP]

He pitched in 78 games, winning six and collecting 33 holds. He played a key role in Twins’ combined regular-season and Korean Series championship. In Game 2 of the Korean Series, he became the oldest winning pitcher in the event’s history, at 40 years and seven months.

Their connection goes back nearly three decades. In 1998, Kim entered Seongnam Middle School, where Noh was already a pitcher. Noh remembers Kim as small and quiet, walking with a bowlegged gait. Kim remembers something else.

“Noh was already famous in Seoul,” Kim said. “He was known as a great pitcher. I was amazed the first time I saw him.”
Kim also remembers Noh’s habits. Even as a teenager, he was meticulous. After games, Noh handed younger players handwritten notes detailing conditioning exercises. With no massage tables available, he pushed two desks together and stretched on top of them.

Their professional paths later diverged.

Noh moved between starting and relief roles with the Doosan Bears. Kim struggled in obscurity for years after elbow injuries. His career turned in 2012, after he joined the NC Dinos and emerged as a core reliever. Noh, meanwhile, moved to the Lotte Giants in 2016 and kept going.

Then came another test. At the end of 2021, both pitchers were released. Retirement loomed.

“I expected it, to some extent,” Noh said. “The club and I wanted different things. But I couldn’t just stop.”

Both pitchers attended tryouts. They called team executives themselves. It worked. Noh signed with the Landers. Kim joined the Twins.

The turnaround was swift. Noh continued throwing fastballs over 150 kph (93 mph) and reclaimed the league’s holds crown. He was also recently named to the preliminary roster for the World Baseball Classic training camp. In contrast, Kim reinvented himself with a decisive forkball which revived his career.

LG Twins relief pitcher Kim Jin-sung delivers a pitch in the eighth inning of Game 5 of the Korean Series against the Hanwha Eagles at Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon on Oct. 31, 2025. [NEWS1]

“After hardship and pain, there is success,” Kim said. “But enduring that process is not easy.” After his release from Dinos, he said, he could not imagine where he is now. He hopes younger players going through similar struggles will wait patiently. Their time, he said, will come.

Noh, who hopes to become the oldest national team player in World Baseball Classic history next March, sees his age differently now.

“I’ve realized something in my 40s,” he said. “This age is actually better.” He smiled. “I want to keep playing, if only to give hope to others like us.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KO BONG-JUN [[email protected]]