* Translated by Papago

Starnews

Wow, it wasn't Kim Do Young or Roh Sihwan' Reporter Il who entered the Korea of the 韓캠프 camp → "The first target of alert is a man with a muscular body that feels like his clothes are about to explode."

Published :

Kim Woojong

*This content was translated by AI.

Ahn Hyun-min, a South Korean national outfielder with KT Wiz. /Photo = Courtesy of KT Wiz
Ahn Hyun-min. /Picture = Senior Reporter Kang Young-jo

With the opening of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) just around the corner, Japan is also showing great interest in Korea, which belongs to the same group. One Japanese media personally covered the scene where the Korean WBC national team camp was being held, and it was Ahn Hyun-min, not Kim Do-young or Roh Si-hwan. The media was wary of Ahn Hyun-min, describing him as "a muscular player whose clothes seemed to explode."

Japanese media Sponichi Annex reported on the 18th, "We conducted an undercover report on the Korean national team at the WBC," adding, "With Ryu Hyun-jin's overwhelming presence, a muscle man wearing a yellow tosie came as a threat."

The media said, "The Korean national team began training in Okinawa, Japan from the 16th. Recently, South Korea has not had a high performance evaluation as several of its key players have been injured in succession. Still, when I was covering the infiltration, the two players, who are key to the pitching, were quietly grinding their teeth," he said.

The two people mentioned by Japanese media here were pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin and batter Ahn Hyun-min.

Sponichi Annex first said of Ryu Hyun-jin, "To Japanese fans, Ryu Hyun-jin has a strong impression as a player who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the past. The left-hander representing South Korea entered the Major League in 2013 and won 78 games, including four double-digit wins in his 11 big league seasons. He returned to the Korean stage from the 2024 season and marked nine wins (seven losses) in Hanwha last season.

"The first person to appear after the team bus arrived before 11 a.m. was Ryu Hyun-jin. "There was a request for autographs from fans, and he showed a big side by conducting interviews with the Korean media immediately," he said.

The media continued to spotlight Ryu Hyun-jin. "He was actively communicating with the coaching staff, including Ryu Ji-hyun. I also laughed and talked with most of my younger teammates. When he was playing catch, he was paired with Jung Woo-joo, a junior of Hanwha and only 20 years old, and advised him, adding, "On this day, Ryu Hyun-jin left the stadium around noon after performing pitching movements, strengthening training, and short running training without entering the bullpen." There was little movement, but the presence was overwhelming. He also has a lot of international experience, contributing to the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medal and the 2009 WBC runner-up. This time, he will return to the national team for the first time in 17 years. It is expected to be a great help not only as his seasoned pitching but also as a mental support," he said.

Ahn Hyun-min, a South Korean national outfielder with KT Wiz. /Photo = Courtesy of KT Wiz
Ahn Hyun-min, a South Korean national outfielder with KT Wiz. /Photo = Courtesy of KT Wiz

The next player that the media paid attention to was Ahn Hyun-min.

Sponich Annex said, "In the afternoon, the fielders' batting training began on the ground. Most of them are sweating in training suits without uniform numbers, so it was not easy to tell who the player was, he said. "But one man was different." "He was a player with a muscular body that seemed to burst out of clothes and a colorful yellow tosh." It was Ahn Hyun-min.

The media said, "Ahn Hyun-min, who is certain to take the main role in the Korean national team, was hit hard. The bat was divided into three categories: a short bat, a special bat with a burst sound, and a regular bat. Entering the batter's box with full preparation, he hit home runs in a row, hitting the deepest side in left-center. He also had two home runs in a friendly match against Japan in November last year. Attention will be needed to the "muscle man," he said, adding that he was the No. 1 target of caution.

In addition, the media said, "Kwakbin and 42-year-old veteran Noh Kyung-eun, who are at the core of the starting pitcher, also pitched strongly in the bullpen. Kim Do-young, who can take the center of the lineup with Ahn Hyun-min, also drew a large arch in a row. In addition, overseas players with major league experience such as Dane Dunning (Atlanta Braves) will join. Korea's first match is against the Czech Republic on March 5, and it will face Japan on the 7th."

Ahn Hyun-min, a South Korean national outfielder with KT Wiz. /Photo = Courtesy of KT Wiz
Ahn Hyun-min, a South Korean national outfielder with KT Wiz. /Photo = Courtesy of KT Wiz

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*This content was translated by AI.

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