Ji-hyun Ryu to manage Korea Baseball National Team at 2026 Asian Games

The Korea Baseball Softball Association announced that its Performance Improvement Committee approved Ji-hyun Ryu as the Baseball National Team manager at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, scheduled from September 21 to 27.

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.

Ryu is an international baseball veteran. He served as the bench coach for manager Joong Il Ryu during the WBSC Premier12 2024 presented by RAXUS. He was on Korea's coaching staff at the 2006 and 2013 World Baseball Classic, and at the 2014, 2018, and 2023 Asian Games. He recently managed Korea at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

KBSA President Hae-young Yang also announced an open recruitment procedure for two members of Ryu's coaching staff and three members of the U-23 Baseball National Teams. The Performance Improvement Committee will evaluate eligible candidates following document screening.

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