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Young Daegu guard's play, confidence making KBL take notice

Published: 01 Jan. 2026, 14:26 Updated: 01 Jan. 2026, 14:54

Daegu Kogas Pegasus player Yang Woo-hyeok poses for a photo after an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at Daegu Gymnasium on Dec. 30, 2025. [SONG BONG-GEUN]

Yang Woo-hyeok is just 18 years old and has not yet graduated from high school, but he is already putting up the kind of performances that are usually expected from veteran KBL guards. Daegu's rebuilding team has placed its offense in his hands and already received immediate results.

When Yang met with the JoongAng Ilbo on Tuesday at Daegu Gymnasium, he spoke with the assurance of someone who believes he belongs. Born in 2007 and set to graduate on Jan. 9, the Daegu Kogas Pegasus guard entered the professional ranks last month as the youngest player in the KBL. He went sixth overall in the rookie draft, selected ahead of college players several years older.

“When I’m on the court, I play with the mindset that I’m the best,” Yang said. “I think that’s why my game looks so dynamic.”

Results have followed. Yang scored 19 points against the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters on Dec. 20, 2025, added 17 against the Changwon LG Sakers on Dec. 23, 2025 and finished with 13 against Suwon KT Sonicboom two days later. He not only recorded double-digit points in three straight games, but also appeared in postgame player-of-the-game interviews after.

During one television broadcast, a commentator reacted in disbelief, asking whether Yang was really a high school student. After the Changwon game, Sakers center Assem Marei approached Yang and told him he will become a “KBL legend.”

In Daegu, the response from fans has been just as strong. Some longtime supporters say Yang has drawn them back to the arena for the first time since Kim Seung-hyun’s Goyang Orion Orions days in the early 2000s. While Yang once played in front of crowds that skewed heavily male during his years at Samil High School, today the demographics have shifted.

“A fan sent me a letter with chewy Dubai cookies,” Yang said. “She wrote that she started watching basketball because of me. Without fans, sports are just people playing with a ball.”

Daegu Kogas Pegasus player Yang Woo-hyeok poses for a photo after an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at Daegu Gymnasium on Dec. 30, 2025. [SONG BONG-GEUN]

On the court, Yang plays with rhythm and pace. He likes to use what he calls a “hang dribble,” a unique rhythmic movement that involves floating with the ball and then accelerating forward. His go-to sequence pairs a sharp crossover with a pullup jumper.

At 1.78 meters (5 feet 10 inches) and 69 kilograms (152 pounds), Yang lacks size by professional standards. He compensates with confidence. He does not hesitate late in games and does not back down from contact. Against Sonicboom, he hit a 3-pointer after jostling with Filipino guard JD Cagulangan, following it up with a celebration that raised eyebrows.

“It meant, ‘If you mess with me, this is what happens,’” Yang said. “It wasn’t a gun gesture. I was just showing three fingers for the 3-pointer. I want to add fun moments to the game, like in the NBA.”

Pegasus coach Kang Hyuk has encouraged that freedom. He spreads the floor and gives Yang the ball, even against experienced defenders. Kang noticed him immediately during rookie tryouts.

“His eyes stood out,” Kang said. “He’s a high school kid, but he was directing college players.”

Kang changed his mind moments before making his draft selection, opting for Yang over Kang Sung-wook, who later was drafted by Suwon. Yang remembers running into coach Kang in the bathroom that day.

“[He] told me I looked tough and solid,” Yang said with a smile. “I expected to go eighth or later, so it felt good to be recognized.”

As the team’s youngest player, Yang has become a favorite in the locker room. Teammate SJ Belangel joked that he would buy Yang a PlayStation 5 if he scored 10 points in a game. Longtime KBL veteran Ra Gun-ah lowered the requirement to two or three.

Yang exceeded both.

On Dec. 6 against the Red Boosters, he became the youngest player to start a KBL game at 18 years, seven months and three days. He also set the record for youngest player to score in double figures, finishing with 16 points and seven assists.

“Two days later, Gun-ah gave me a PlayStation worth about 700,000 won [$485] as a Christmas present,” Yang said. “I’m just waiting for Jan. 1 so I can make an adult account.”

Daegu Kogas Pegasus player Yang Woo-hyeok poses for a photo after an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at Daegu Gymnasium on Dec. 30, 2025. [SONG BONG-GEUN]

At Samil High, Yang earned the nickname “Samil Yuki,” a reference to Japan’s Yuki Kawamura, an undersized guard carving out a career in the NBA. In Daegu, the nickname has evolved to “Daegu Yuki.”

“Every time I moved up a level, people said I was too [small],” Yang said. “If I succeed in the KBL, the top league in Korea, there’s nothing left to say. That’s why I entered the draft early instead of going to college. I want to break stereotypes, like Kawamura.”

Yang closely studies NBA All-Star guard Kyrie Irving’s game and also attended future NBA Hall of Famer Stephen Curry’s basketball camp in China in August last year. During a break, he approached Curry and asked, “Could you tell me your game mind?”

Curry took a moment, then told him to think about the next play, whether he made a mistake or not.

“I still hear him saying, ‘Next, next,’ when I play,” Yang said.

Former Samil High standout Lee Hyun-jung, now playing in Japan, offered similar advice.

“He told me not to worry about what others think and just play my game,” Yang said. “I want to work hard enough to follow him as the best player Samil High has produced.”

Yang still keeps a photo from an elementary school alumni gathering where he posed with longtime KBL players Kang Hyuk and Song Kyo-chang.

Not everything has come easily. Yang went 0-for-10 from the field against the Seoul SK Knights last Saturday. Also, his thin frame and foul management remain concerns.

“When I broke my foot in high school, I weighed 58 kilograms,” he said. “I gained 12 kilograms in two months. My goal is to reach at least 73 through weight training.”

He avoids caffeine, leaving an untouched cup of coffee on the table during the interview.

Competing for Rookie of the Year with Suwon's Kang Sung-wook and Kim Kun-ha of Ulsan Hyundai Mobis, Yang views the race as a benefit.

“It’s good competition,” he said. “It feels like we’re pushing each other to a higher level. Words have power. Things happen the way you say them. I want to become the No. 1 guard in Korea.”

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 PARK LIN [[email protected]]