Ji-hyun Ryu to manage Korea at World Baseball Classic 2026

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) named Ji-hyun Ryu World Baseball Classic 2026 manager.

Born in 1971, Ryu played middle infield in the KBO league from 1994 to 2004. He was on the LG Twins roster for all 11 seasons, playing 1,108 games.

After his playing career, Ryu stayed with the Twins as an instructor and coach. he managed them in 2021 and 2022.

Managing the World Baseball Classic team won't be his first international experience. He was the manager Joong Il Ryu's bench coach during the WBSC Premier12 2024 presented by RAXUS. He was on Korea's coaching staff at the 2006 and 2013 World Baseball Classic and the 2014, 2018 and 2023 Asian Games.