KT Manager Lee Kang-cheol to Lead WBC Korea National Baseball Team

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] Lee Kang-chul (56), manager of the professional baseball team kt wiz, will lead the South Korean national baseball team at the World Baseball Classic (WBC), the global baseball championship held in March next year.

On the 21st, the 2023 WBC National Team Technical Committee held a meeting at the Baseball Hall in Dogok-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and appointed Lee Kang-chul as the manager of the WBC national baseball team.

The Technical Committee explained the appointment background, stating, "Manager Lee, who has extensive experience as a pitching coach in the KBO League, has been highly evaluated for his excellent player analysis and efficient utilization. We also considered that he is the manager of the 'defending champion' team that won both the regular season and the Korean Series last year."

The Technical Committee consists of seven members, including Chairman Yeom Kyung-yeop, former kt manager Cho Beom-hyun, former Lotte manager Yang Sang-moon, KBO Special Advisor Lee Seung-yeop, MBC Sports Plus commentators Shim Jae-hak and Kim Sun-woo, and KBSN commentator Jang Sung-ho.

Manager Lee Kang-chul served as a pitching coach for the national baseball teams at the 2017 Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) and the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. In the professional league, he worked as a pitching coach and head coach for the KIA Tigers, Nexen Heroes (now Kiwoom), and Doosan Bears, and became the kt manager in 2019.

The 5th WBC, held for the first time in six years, will take place from March 8 to 21 next year. In the tournament featuring 20 countries, South Korea will be placed in Group B alongside Japan, setting up a Korea-Japan match in the WBC for the first time in 14 years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.