AG 金 on the Army Commanding Officer's Taste: "It's truly a relief, but the absence of Choi Jun-yong is regrettable → No replacement allowed..."

*This content was translated by AI.

"It's truly a relief that we won the gold medal..."

When the national baseball team secured a gold medal at the Asian Games and earned military service benefits, Park Chi-wang (57), head coach of the Army Baseball Team (ROK Army Special Forces), could not hide his deep sense of regret behind his congratulations. While it is a national celebration and an unparalleled honor for each player, as the commander of Ha Neun (SVP) who must immediately assemble the team for the next season, complex thoughts inevitably crossed his mind.

A prime example is Lotte Giants' key relief right-handed pitcher Choi Jun-yong (25). He was selected by Lee Beon (CEO) despite having passed the entrance exam for Choi Jun-yong-eun (SVP). At a press conference held at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 28th ahead of the '2026 Futures League Championship Series' against Ulsan Whales, Coach Park Chi-wang stated, "Choi Jun-yong passed the entrance exam for Seon Su-ga (SVP), but he couldn't join due to military service benefits. This means we'll have one fewer pitcher to recruit. Since no additional replacement is allowed, honestly, it's a bit concerning."

Coach Park continued, "While it's truly fortunate for the player to win a medal and gain self-esteem, from the team-building perspective, if he doesn't come, that spot cannot be filled. My personal thought is that it would have been better if he had not applied to Ha Go (CEO) beforehand and instead committed 100% to his original team (giving other players a chance)." He added with a bitter smile.

In reality, the Army Baseball Team's regulations do not allow for immediate replacement of players who pass the entrance exam but choose to forego enlistment. Not only do opportunities not return to those who were rejected during the selection process, but vacancies caused by the departure of qualified candidates remain entirely with the team. Within a selection system that occurs only twice a year, managing approximately 30 players over a season of around 120 games creates significant strain for Ha Neun (SVP). The absence of even one pitcher leads to an overload on the entire pitching mound.

Coach Park emphasized, "People outside might assume good results come naturally because talented players join the Army, but it's never easy to operate with a constantly changing roster and limited personnel. Nevertheless, my role is to properly organize the remaining players and prepare for the future."

While genuinely celebrating the national team's glory and the gold medal news, the deep concern of the Ha Neun (SVP) commander was evident as he faced an entry list left empty without any replacements.

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*This content was translated by AI.