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Korea replaces catcher over injury for World Baseball Classic

Published: 10 Feb. 2026, 19:30

Korean national baseball team manager Ryu Ji-hyun, center, greets players during a World Baseball Classic evaluation match against Japan at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo on Nov. 16, 2025. [NEWS1]

Korea's national baseball team for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) has replaced an injured catcher.

The KBO announced Tuesday that NC Dinos catcher Kim Hyung-jun will take over from Hanwha Eagles backstop Choi Jae-hoon, who broke his finger on Sunday during training in Australia.

The Eagles announced Choi would step down for three to four weeks, ruling him out of the WBC games between March 5 and 17.

Korea's team currently has only two catchers, with LG Twins' Park Dong-won being the other.

Kim, 26, won the KBO Fielding Award last season for his defensive prowess. He also scored 17 home runs in 2024 and 18 more in 2025. Kim was initially left off the WBC as he was still recovering from offseason hand surgery, but the Dinos insisted that he will be healthy enough to represent the country next month.

Kim has played in multiple international events, including the 2023 Asian Games, the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship and the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier 12.

"I am truly excited and honored to represent my country at such a significant tournament like the WBC, an event I have always wanted to play in," Kim said. "I will always remember the meaning of wearing the national team uniform. My hand is doing great, and I have been working hard to get ready for this season. I am excited to catch new pitchers as the national team."

Team Korea, managed by Ryu Ji-hyun, will soon begin training camp in Okinawa, Japan, in late February.

Yonhap