[Official] Major blow for the Malus team! An Young-jun out due to finger injury... replaced by KT's Moon Jung-hyun, who will head to AG alongside his younger brother Moon Yu-hyun

*This content was translated by AI.

A devastating blow has struck the South Korean Nam Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team aiming for gold at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. An Young-jun (31, Seoul SK), a key forward on both offense and defense, has been forced to withdraw due to an unexpected injury. Moon Jung-hyun (25, Suwon KT) has been selected as his replacement. This means he will step onto the Asian Games stage alongside his younger brother, Moon Yu-hyun (22, Anyang Jeonggwanjang), both wearing the national team jersey.

The Korea Basketball Association announced on the 8th a change to the final 12-player roster for the Nam Ja-nong-gu (CEO) team competing at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

The reason was injury. An Young-jun suffered a finger injury during the first game of the national team evaluation match against the Philippines held on the 4th at the Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena. A former MVP of the 2024-2025 regular season and a standout performer in the 2025-2026 season with averages of 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 steals, he was considered a core asset for the national team thanks to his strong defensive pressure and outside shooting ability. However, due to this injury, he had to abandon his dream of competing in the Asian Games.

Though shocked by the major setback just before the Asian Games, the association quickly selected a replacement given how close the tournament has become. The choice was Moon Jung-hyun. A first overall pick in the 2023-2024 KBL Rookie Draft, Moon Jung-hyun delivered exceptional performances during the 2025-2026 season, averaging 7.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.

Previously selected for Window 3 of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers, Moon Jung-hyun has already gained international experience. His exceptional work rate, willingness to take on tough tasks, and versatile forward skills made him the ideal candidate to fill An Young-jun's vacancy.

This replacement selection created an interesting situation. Moon Jung-hyun will now play alongside his younger brother, Moon Yu-hyun, who was selected as a guard for the Lee Mi (CEO) team and performed well against the Philippines. With both brothers wearing the national jersey and competing on the Asian Games court, a new highlight of the tournament has emerged: the "brother chemistry" where older brother Moon Jung-hyun scores off younger brother Moon Yu-hyun's sharp passes.

Meanwhile, coach Malus led the Lee Kkeu-neun (CEO) team to depart for Nagoya, Japan—the decisive venue—on the 7th and conducted their first local training session on the 8th, beginning serious match preparation. Moon Jung-hyun, who had been participating in KT's pre-season training camp in Japan, joined the national team directly at the location on the morning of the 9th without undergoing separate departure procedures and will continue training with the squad.

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*This content was translated by AI.