'World New' LG's Supermoon → Otani talked to me in English, saying, "Are you okay?" so I said, "Dignity." Korea-Japan match's backstory is revealed. [WBC]

*This content was translated by AI.

Moon Bo-kyung (26, LG Twins), who has now grown into a central hitter for the Korean baseball team, expressed her feelings after the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournament. He also disclosed a conversation he had with Shohei Ohtani (32, Los Angeles Dodgers) during the Korea-Japan match.

The Korean baseball team, led by head coach Ryu Ji-hyun, returned home via Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 16th. The Korean baseball team achieved the feat of advancing to the second round for the first time in 17 years since the 2009 WBC tournament.

Although he suffered a cold game defeat in the seventh inning with 0-10 showing his difference in skills in the quarterfinals against the Dominican Republic, it was a great achievement to find a certain international hitter named Moon Bo-kyung.

After returning home, Moon Bo-kyung said in an interview with reporters, "I feel relieved, and I think I have a lot of regrets."

"I think I've had a lot of experience. Also, in the case of Dominican Republic players, they were not just major leaguers, but all-star players. I watched each and every one of them hit the bat very carefully. Christopher Sanchez, who was also the opponent's starter, was also a pitcher who ranked second in the Cy Young Award voting last year. It was a good experience to be able to hit the ball of such a player," he said.

Regarding Sanchez's ball, Moon Bo-kyung said, "It was not an easy ball to see in Korea. I think it was really good. I can't think of anything other than saying it was good," he said.

Moon Bo-kyung had 11 RBIs in the first round alone, hitting a grand slam from the match against the Czech Republic, the first group game of the tournament. It was a new record for most RBIs in the first round of the WBC.

"I'm really grateful that I left my personal record and went to the WBC quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years and that I was in it. The WBC is a competition where the best players from all over the world come from each country. "I think I felt that I was able to improve more because I showed good performance while competing with those players," he said with strength.

Regarding the RBI record, he said, "I actually didn't care about such a record. Still, it was very good because it came up on MLB.com and we didn't know when it would come up," he said with a smile.

As for the new nickname 'Supermoon,' he said, "First of all, it's a nickname that I really like. I think it's a really cool nickname. It's really nice to have a new nickname again. I don't know when the next time will be, but if I grow further and go out as a national team member, I want to show better performance. I hope I can get better results than now and come back," he said, renewing his determination.

Did he have a dream to enter the big league. He said, "I'm not saying that I went out this time, but all baseball players' dreams have always been to advance to the major leagues. If I can try it when I have a chance someday, I want to try it. I always thought of that. I want to work harder to become a good player and become a player who can challenge for such a position," he said.

Who was the most impressive opponent. Moon Bo-kyung said, "It was Junior Caminero (Tampa Bay Race). Ryu Hyun-jin's curve toward the ground was not just a hit, but a long shot. I felt that he was not the best MLB All-Star player for no reason."

He also told me the back story of Ohtani. In the Korea-Japan match of the first round, Moon Bo-kyung collided with the fence during the defense of a foul ball in the bottom of the seventh inning and produced a dizzying scene. Moon Bo-kyung, who was the first baseman at the time, was seen talking to Ohtani on the first base when Ohtani got on base with four automatic pitches in the bottom of the seventh inning. In response, Moon Bo-kyung said, "Is it okay?" and talked to me in English. I think that's why he said it was okay," he said, explaining the situation at the time. It was also a scene where Ohtani's dignity was revealed, worrying about the opponent's physical condition in the world of fierce competition.

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*This content was translated by AI.