*This content was translated by AI.
Miami, Florida, USA, held the 2026 World Baseball Classic quarterfinals. Here, there is a person who became the ear of Korean players. It is Choi Ji-hyun (27), an official Korean interpreter who appeared on the WBC stage for the first time in 17 years.
Choi, who considers Florida his "second hometown," is a veteran who has had about six years of experience as an interpreter here in the United States since college. Usually, the Major League Baseball (MLB) secretariat does not hire a Korean interpreter separately if Korea fails to reach the quarterfinals in the previous WBC, but this time, it is known that it contacted Choi before the tournament and asked him to vacate the schedule. It was to hire the Korean national team as an interpreter if it passed the group qualifying round and headed to the United States.
In the end, Korea won a dramatic 7-2 victory against Australia in Tokyo, Japan, and Choi Ji-hyun will join the WBC schedule. In fact, Choi had received an important 'conference' interpretation request during this WBC period. However, he joined the WBC schedule even by adjusting the schedule, believing in the Korean team's potential to advance to the quarterfinals.
Choi Ji-hyun, who met with Star News during the competition, expressed her regret for not being able to participate in the WBC, especially with a special fan sentiment for Won Tae-in (26, Samsung Lions). Choi's parents are currently living in Daegu, and his father is a fan of the Samsung Lions. His hometown is also Daegu, home to Samsung.
Choi Ji-hyun said, "I heard from a Pilates Studio instructor in Daegu that Won Tae-in is usually thorough in self-management. I understand that they go to the same studio. The instructor's husband is in charge of treating Won's manual, so I really wanted to meet him and say hello." However, as Won Tae-in was unable to join the WBC national team due to an injury, the meeting in Miami unfortunately failed.
However, this WBC schedule is very special for her. "When the national anthem played in the middle of Miami, I was really moved to the point where I cried," he said. "I'm really grateful to have the opportunity to work here thanks to the Korean players."
He continued, "I was in charge of interpreting the BLACKPINK world tour. Sports events were mainly played in the LPGA (American Women's Professional Golf), but now I think I know a little about baseball. "I also have fun in baseball, and I want to visit Daegu Samsung Lions Park and have an in-person experience when I go to Korea in the future," he said with a smile.
Choi currently served as the mouth and ear of the Korean team by performing a "relay interpretation" in which Spanish and Japanese were received in English and delivered back to Korean. Unfortunately, the Korean national team's schedule ended with only one match in the quarterfinals, but it served as an interpreter for the remaining Korean reporters until the final on the 18th.
Finally, Choi Ji-hyun added, "As there is a 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup organizing committee headquarters in Miami, I look forward to seeing many Korean athletes perform well and meet again at various sports events such as the World Cup in the future."
<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>
*This content was translated by AI.
