"Thanks to KT, juniors get to play baseball" — Even without the first-round draft pick, KT continues to honor its home region; Kang Min's mentor also expressed gratitude.

*This content was translated by AI.

Korean baseball team KT Wiz has brought hope to young baseball prospects in the Suwon region, its home territory.

KT Club donated baseball equipment worth 20 million won to the Suwon City Baseball and Softball Association at SuwonKT Wiz Park on the 20th.

The baseball equipment delivered through the association was distributed to 10 youth baseball teams in Suwon, including two high school teams (Yusin High School, Jangang High School), three middle school teams (Maehyang Middle School, etc.), one elementary school team, and four Little League teams. Also in attendance were KT Baseball Team President Na Do-hyun, Suwon City Baseball and Softball Association President Kwak Young-bung, as well as coaches and players from Suwon-area baseball teams.

Although the donation takes place only once or twice a year, it holds significant meaning at the frontline. For instance, among baseball equipment, practice balls are frequently used by players during fungo and fielding PFP (Pitchers Fielding Practice) drills. After hundreds of fungo sessions daily, even a seemingly ample supply of practice balls can quickly run out. While this varies by school, when supplies are insufficient, separate fundraising efforts must be organized to cover the shortfall.

Practice balls cost approximately 1.1 million won per box, a price level that cannot be ignored. In the past, when the first-round draft system was in place, support from local professional teams was active, making it possible to address the issue to some extent. However, after the first-round draft system was abolished following the 2022 KBO Rookie Draft, interest in local amateur baseball within the region has declined. Recognizing this fact, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) now provides a certain quantity of practice balls to schools that have produced drafted rookies.

However, KT has consistently shown interest in its home region of Suwon. Recently, the team has been donating leftover A-grade balls from spring training or purchasing new balls when supplies are insufficient. Once or twice a year, each school receives up to four boxes. Thanks to this, younger players have been able to continue playing baseball with less concern over costs.

Hong Seok-moo, the head coach of Yushin High School, told StarNews, "Even though KT no longer has the first-round draft system, the team within the region continues to take good care of us. This time, we received two boxes of practice balls for high school students and four boxes for middle school students, which is a great help to the students. They even gave us balls after we returned from spring camp. The condition of the balls is almost S-grade." He expressed his gratitude.

As a result of maintaining focus on schools in the region, the Suwon area continues to produce renowned professional baseball players. At the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft held last year alone, three promising players from the Suwon region were selected within the third round. Shin Jae-in (19, NC Dinos) and Oh Jae-won (19, Hanwha Eagles), both alumni of Yushin High School, were selected as the second and third overall picks in the first round, respectively. Yang Woo-jin (19, LG Twins), selected eighth overall in the first round, is also an alumnus of Suwon Sin-gok Elementary and Suwon North Middle School, and received a high selection after advancing to Gyeonggi Aviation High School.

KT also reaped a significant return from the seed it sowed. The protagonist is shortstop Lee Kang-min (19), a high school graduate rookie who has adapted quickly. After graduating from Songho Elementary, Ansan Jungang Middle, and Yugo High schools, Lee joined KT as the 16th overall pick in the second round of the 2026 KBO Draft. With stable defense reminiscent of manager Park Jin-man and solid contact ability leading to effective hitting, he secured the starting shortstop position for KT from his first year.

Lee Kang-chul (60), KT's General Manager, is extremely satisfied. Manager Lee Kang-chul stated, "(Lee) Kang-min has a strong heart like (Kim) Ha-seong. While Ha-seong is bold, Kang-min is somewhat introverted, which seems to be common among players from Yushin High School. Choi Jung (SSG) is also quiet, and our team's (So) Hyung-jun and (Park) Young-hyun are the same. Among them, Hyung-jun is relatively cheerful. What about Kim Ju-won, Shin Jae-in (both NC), and Oh Jae-won (Hanwha)?" he asked the reporters.

During the interview, Lee Kang-min, who was passing by the dugout, was stopped. Coach Lee Kang-cheol asked Lee Kang-min, "Are all your schoolmates so quiet? All the seniors are like that. Did your school provide character education?" In response, Lee Kang-min smiled bashfully and said, "I think so," adding, "The coach and the seniors often talk about such things (character)." Coach Lee Kang-cheol then praised him, saying, "It feels like I'm looking at Gwangju Ilgo (the school where Coach Lee Kang-cheol graduated). The position players are doing well. Everyone has good character."

KT's efforts, which have not forgotten coexistence with amateur baseball, are ongoing. The KT organization stated, "This ceremony was held to promote the development and expansion of the base of youth baseball in the franchise region. We plan to continue various social contribution activities in the future to advance sports development in the franchise region."

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*This content was translated by AI.