Director Park Jin-man, who looks similar, also exclaimed, "Lee Kang-min is at least 3-4 years old, so he can be relaxed not like a rookie.""

*This content was translated by AI.

Park Jin-man (50), a former KBO representative shortstop, praised KT Wiz rookie shortstop Lee Kang-min (19), who was called a "lookalike."

Lee Kang-min is a right-handed uta infielder who joined KT as the 16th in the second round of the 2026 KBO rookie draft after graduating from Song Ho-cho, Ansan Joongang Middle School and Yushin High School. From KBO scouts, stable defense reminiscent of coach Park Jin-man was considered the biggest strength.

After the nomination, Lee Chung-moo, head of KT's scout team, told Star News, "Lee Kang-min was a professional shortstop who did not go back and forth from this position to this position when he was a Yushin High School. He said, "I have a good enough shoulder to play shortstop, and basically, my handling is stable, so I don't make a big mistake."

"Lee Kang-min's defense is a type that can be viewed comfortably because he is quick to judge batting." It is similar to coach Park Jin-man when he was active. Coach Park Jin-man also emphasized, "I'm not quick on my feet, but I showed good defense because I was quick and smart on my batting judgment, and (Lee) Kang-min is like that."

It was recognized by KT coach Lee Kang-chul (60) early in the closing camp held in Taiwan and Japan last year. It was possible to guess Lee Kang-min's potential in that he satisfied coach Lee Kang-chul, one of the head coaches who emphasized the importance of defense in hiring the first team of fielders. In a practice game with the Taiwan Professional Baseball (CPBL) baseball team, he showed a sense of stability through quick batting judgment and handling, while also showing persistent signs of hitting and falling against the fence, catching the attention of the first-team coaching staff at once.

As a result, he joined with the main infielders from the spring camp and was also included in the opening entry of the first division for the exhibition game. He is adapting quickly by not missing a real pitch even in hitting.

Coach Park Jin-man is known as a famous defender who connects the lineage of Korean shortstop. He was a leading player in the gold medal at the 2002 Busan Asian Games and the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and was also a leading player in the third place in the 2006 World Baseball Classic (WBC).

From his debut with the Hyundai Unicorns in 1996 to his retirement with the SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers), he played 1861 of 1993 games as a shortstop. He won the shortstop Golden Glove five times for his outstanding defense and led him to six Korean Series championships (1998, 2000, 2003-2006).

It is never easy to remind me of such director Park Jin-man at the age of 18. It is also good news for the person concerned in that he summoned his active days.

Ahead of the match against Suwon KT on the 4th, coach Park Jin-man said to Lee Kang-min's defense, "Unlike his age, he was relaxed. When you come to the professional for the first time, you have time to adjust and you can be in a hurry. However, since the camp, he is not a rookie in his first year, but he has the same leisure as he is in his third or fourth year. Yesterday (3rd), I was surprised that he seemed to control the strength and weakness to some extent (in Songgu)."

In the match between Suwon KT and Samsung on the 3rd, Lee Kang-min contributed to making a one-point difference game until the 9th inning with several clean defenses. In particular, the packed crowd cheered in the first inning as fast runners Kim Ji-chan and Kim Sung-yoon were grounded out consecutively.

Coach Park Jin-man said, "There are some things to consider about the opponent's main strength or strength. That's based on experience, so it's going to take a few years, but the rookie is already doing that. Shortstop should have a wide field of view. "If I play the game consistently in the future, I think I will have a broader perspective and perform well."

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*This content was translated by AI.