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National team captain Lee Jung-hoo aims to play the maximum 7 games in World Baseball Classic

Published: 02 Mar. 2026, 13:27

Korean outfielder Lee Jung-hoo takes part in practice at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan, on March 1 in preparation for the World Baseball Classic. [YONHAP]

Over his international career, Lee Jung-hoo has gone from one of Korea's up-and-comers to team captain.

With his second career World Baseball Classic (WBC) just around the corner, Lee, the outfielder for the San Francisco Giants, said he wants to play the maximum seven games at the tournament.

Korea will play four games in the opening round in Pool C at Tokyo Dome. If it finishes in the top two in the group, Korea will then reach the quarterfinals in Miami. A team can play a maximum of seven games if it reaches the championship final on March 17.

“I really want to get on that chartered flight to the United States,” Lee told reporters after practice at Kyocera Dome, where Korea will play two exhibition games against Nippon Professional Baseball clubs this week before traveling to Tokyo for the WBC. “I want to play all seven games. I don't have any fond memories of playing for the senior national team.”

Lee grew up watching Korea win the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics and finish in second place at the 2009 WBC. His legendary father was a key member of the 2006 WBC team that reached the semifinals when Lee was seven years old.

Korea hasn't made it out of the first round at the WBC since 2009, with Lee being part of the 2023 team that came up short in Tokyo.

Korean outfielder Lee Jung-hoo, center, chats with teammates Koo Ja-wook, left, and Roh Si-hwan during practice at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan, on March 1 in preparation for the World Baseball Classic. [YONHAP]

“I've only been a part of some disasters,” Lee said, while also admitting he had shed tears at some of his past tournaments over the national team's poor results. “I want to recapture the glory of the past years.”

As he has grown older, Lee said he has felt more pressure.

“In the early days, I was just excited about playing internationally,” he said. “But at some point, I started worrying about how I should approach these games. This time, I am surrounded by great teammates, young and old. I just have to take care of these guys, and we'll be in good shape.”

Some of those players will set foot inside Tokyo Dome for the first time. The iconic stadium can be an intimidating place for the newbies, given its sheer size and the presence of the partisan Japanese crowd.

“It can be a nerve-wracking experience, but it will also help those players going forward,” Lee said. “I don't have to remind them of the importance of this tournament. I just hope they play as well as they usually do for their clubs.”

Korean outfielder Lee Jung-hoo takes part in practice at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan, on March 1 in preparation for the World Baseball Classic. [YONHAP]

Korea was hit hard by injuries in the weeks before the WBC. Kim Ha-seong of the Atlanta Braves, Song Sung-mun of the San Diego Padres and Riley O'Brien of the St. Louis Cardinals are all missing. Among KBO stars, Hanwha Eagles pitcher Moon Dong-ju and Samsung Lions pitcher Won Tae-in were ruled out due to shoulder and elbow problems, respectively.

Lee said he didn't want any excuses regarding those players' absence.

“It's a shame those guys aren't here, but we have the best Korean baseball players available,” Lee said. “If we don't play well just because of the guys that aren't here, then those players will feel guilty, and it will hurt the pride of the guys on the team.”

Yonhap