Korea's First Black Mixed-Race Cleanup Hitter in Baseball 'Kim Young-do' ... Dong-A University Screens Documentary 'Baseball Harmony'

Documentary Producers Hong Ji-young and Kim Chang-bok, Former Dong-A University Baseball Coach, Attend

Dong-A University (President Lee Hae-woo) held a special screening of the documentary "Baseball Harmony," which depicts the life of Kim Young-do, an alumnus from the class of '72 and the fourth batter of the baseball team, on campus.

On the 2nd, attendees of the 'Baseball Harmony' special screening held at Dong-A University are taking a commemorative photo.

"Baseball Harmony" is a documentary about the life struggles of Kim Young-do, Korea's first Black mixed-race baseball player, physical education teacher, and baseball coach. It won four awards at the American Christian Film Festival (Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Writer, Best Music & Editing) and was also an entry at the Sundance Film Festival, the world's premier independent film festival. In the U.S., it was screened last December at theaters in Culver City and Santa Clarita, California.

The screening held on the 3rd at Jeongsan Hall in the College of Arts and Physical Education Building 1 at Dong-A University's Seunghak Campus was attended by over 50 people, including Hong Ji-young (Amy Hutchinson), the producer and director of "Baseball Harmony" and adjunct professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Dong-A University baseball team players, and sports officials.

Adding significance to the event, Kim Chang-bok, former Dong-A University baseball coach and a classmate of Kim Young-do, was also present, and Director Hong attracted attention by connecting a video call with Kim Young-do on the spot.

During the video call with the juniors, Kim said, "I am delighted and happy to meet even the juniors like this," and added, "If you want to learn about my physique and stamina, I hope you continuously train your physical strength and muscle power through personal exercise. That is the only answer."

Earlier, on the 21st of last month, a special screening was held at Busan Daeshin Middle School, where Kim served as a coach, marking the documentary's "first public showing" in Korea.

Born in 1950 to a Korean mother and a U.S. military father, Kim Young-do endured discrimination and hardship as a Black mixed-race child and spent a lonely childhood before voluntarily entering an orphanage at the age of nine.

His life changed when he began learning baseball in the sixth grade. Demonstrating outstanding skills, he was selected for the Dongdaemun Middle School baseball team and later attended Dongdaemun Commercial High School, where he played as the first baseman and cleanup hitter. Kim In-sik, the current manager of Yeoncheon Miracle, was his teammate during this period.

In 1968, he was scouted as a baseball scholarship student at Dong-A University, becoming Korea's first Black mixed-race baseball player. At that time, the late An Young-pil, a prominent baseball figure from Busan who led Dong-A University?the only provincial team?extended his hand to Kim. During his time at Dong-A University, he took on the roles of third and fourth batter and first baseman, earning the nickname "Wild Guy of the Ground."

Despite playing a central role in the batting lineup, possessing excellent physical attributes, and having a strong competitive spirit, Kim Young-do was unable to fully integrate into mainstream Korean baseball. With a dream of teaching future generations, he pursued graduate studies at Dong-A University and completed a master's degree.

In 1980, he worked as a physical education teacher and baseball coach at Busan Daeshin Middle School, earning the nickname "Korea's first Black mixed-race physical education teacher and baseball coach." He was recognized for his leadership with achievements such as winning the National Youth Sports Festival and nurtured prot?g?s including Lee Jong-woon (former Lotte Giants manager) and Park Kwang-yul (former Samsung Lions player).

During this time, he married and had two children and served as president of the Gyeongsang-do Mixed-Race Association for over ten years. However, racial discrimination continued to trouble Kim and his family. Ultimately, he quit baseball, which had changed his life, and emigrated to the United States at the age of 37 for the sake of his children.

After immigrating to the U.S., he put baseball behind him and lived as a father, but in the documentary "Baseball Harmony," he finally smiles while talking about baseball.

The documentary also features scenes of Kim Young-do visiting Dong-A University, touring the campus and the baseball team's training grounds, reminiscing about memories.

Na Sung-won, captain of the Dong-A University baseball team and a junior in the Department of Physical Education, who watched the documentary that day, said, "It is amazing that a senior did not give up playing baseball despite the hardships of discrimination. It is also admirable that he sacrificed by giving up the baseball he loved so much and went to the U.S. for his family," adding, "I feel a sense of regret thinking that if he had lived in a less discriminatory era, he might have become a national representative baseball player."

Director Hong, who organized the special screening, said, "When filming, none of the students knew there was a Black mixed-race senior, but now everyone unanimously says, 'If there is a chance to learn from Senior Kim Young-do, I want to learn,' and 'I envy his physicality.' I thought that the Dong-A University baseball team is a place where there is absolutely no discrimination based on skin color, and they only see the human Kim Young-do. I also felt that Dong-A University, which embraced young Kim Young-do as a son, is the best."

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