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Team Korea captain Lee Jung-hoo sets example both on and off the field ahead of WBC quarterfinals

Published: 11 Mar. 2026, 15:21 Updated: 11 Mar. 2026, 17:06

Lee Jung-hoo celebrates after hitting an RBI single during Korea’s Pool C game against Australia at the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Tokyo Dome in Japan on March 9. [NEWS1]

TOKYO — Practice for the Korean national baseball team was winding down when a reporter from an overseas media outlet approached KT Wiz outfielder Ahn Hyun-min for a brief interview last Thursday at Tokyo Dome, a day before the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) opened.

The easygoing Ahn stopped and said, "O.K.," but before the interview could begin, Lee Jung-hoo stepped in. He asked the reporter to wait for a moment and led Ahn behind the dugout.

A short time later, Ahn returned with a KBO staff member who was fluent in English. When asked about Lee's decision by the JoongAng Ilbo the next day, Lee said he had advised Ahn to give official answers through an interpreter.

"Even a single word can be expressed or interpreted differently," Lee said. "In MLB, even foreign players who speak English quite well still do interviews through interpreters. I wanted to prevent Hyun-min from accidentally saying something in English that could be misunderstood and cause him unnecessary stress off the field."

Lee, the captain of Team Korea, was busy off the field as well.

The San Francisco Giants center fielder is the biggest star in Korean baseball right now. He draws a large following in Japan too. The Van Cleef & Arpels necklace he wore from Korea’s first game became a talking point throughout the opening round. The piece, which wraps around the neck with multiple four-leaf clover-shaped pendants, is also popular among many big leaguers.

"I wore it only during games because I hoped the luck of the four-leaf clover would come to Team Korea," Lee said with a laugh. "I did not expect it to get this much attention."

Lee Jung-hoo speaks with the JoongAng Ilbo at Tokyo Dome on March 6. [BAE YOUNG-EUN]

Lee also helped Korea prepare for Japanese starter Yusei Kikuchi of the Los Angeles Angels.

"Jahmai Jones and I have both faced Kikuchi in MLB," Lee said. "I cannot go into detail, but I shared what I know with our players."

Korea scored three runs in the first inning against Kikuchi and stayed level with defending champions Japan until the end.

The luck Lee seemed to bring turned into something close to a miracle for Korea. Ahead of Monday’s final first-round game against Australia, Korea needed to win by at least five runs while allowing no more than two. The team did exactly that, beating Australia 7-2 to reach the WBC quarterfinals for the first time since 2009.

"We have never been this nervous all the way to the end while leading by five runs," the players said after the game. Some were moved to tears.

Lee Jung-hoo, right, and Kim Hye-seong of Team Korea celebrate during Korea’s final Pool C game against Australia at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) at Tokyo Dome in Japan on March 9. [YONHAP]

Lee’s presence stood out on both offense and defense against Australia, the game that decided Korea’s fate.

His biggest moment came in the bottom of the ninth, with one out and a runner on first, when he made a sliding catch on a drive by Rixon Wingrove that looked headed for the gap in right-center for an extra-base hit.

What fell into Lee’s glove at that moment was not just a baseball, but Korea’s ticket to the United States.

"I am really glad our players will get to take a charter flight and experience the MLB system," Lee said. "I hope it becomes a huge source of motivation in their baseball careers and leads to even more Korean major leaguers in the future."

Korea, which finished second in Group C, will play the Group D winner in the WBC quarterfinal on Friday at loanDepot park in Miami. Its opponent will be decided by Wednesday’s game between the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. Both teams are baseball powerhouses packed with major leaguers.

Lee Jung-hoo, center, roars during Korea’s final Pool C game against Australia at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) at Tokyo Dome in Japan on March 9. [YONHAP]

Moon Bo-gyeong of the LG Twins, one of Korea’s key bats in the opening round, said playing alongside Lee meant more to him than facing star players in the United States.

"I will get to see a lot of big leaguers in the United States," Moon said. "But it means more to me to play with Jung-hoo than with anyone else. He was on another team when he played in Korea, but now we are on the same team. That makes me even happier."

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 BAE YOUNG-EUN [[email protected]]