Another Autumn Baseball Experience: 'APBC Japan Live Viewing Trip' — KBO to Operate Away Support Group at Tokyo Dome

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

For baseball fans, another unmissable autumn baseball opportunity has emerged: the chance to watch the 2026 Asia Pro Baseball Championship (APBC) live alongside domestic fans.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) will operate an away support group for all South Korean team matches at the 2026 APBC, scheduled to be held in November at Tokyo Dome in Japan.

Secured seats in the South Korea infield support section have been arranged for three preliminary matches against Australia, Japan, and Taiwan, as well as one final match (or third/fourth-place playoff). In accordance with Tokyo Dome's cheering regulations, these sections allow standing cheers and choreographed chants, where voices of support for the South Korean national baseball team will be gathered.

Recruitment for baseball fans to join the away support group is being conducted on a first-come, first-served basis via the KBO official website starting at 11:00 a.m. on the 12th. The support group packages are composed of three types: a 3-night, 4-day package (November 11–14) including viewing of two preliminary matches against Australia and Japan; a 2-night, 3-day package (November 14–16) including viewing of the preliminary match against Taiwan and the final (or third/fourth-place playoff); and a 5-night, 6-day package (November 11–16) including viewing of all four South Korean team matches.

For the match against Australia on November 12 and the match against Taiwan on November 14, Blocks A12 and A13 in the first base infield section of Tokyo Dome will be used as the South Korea support seats. For the match against Japan on November 13, Blocks A42 and A43 in the third base infield section will be utilized. For the final (or third/fourth-place playoff) on the 15th, either Blocks A7 and A8 in the first base infield section or Blocks A42 and A43 in the third base infield section will be used as South Korea support seats, depending on match results.

A cheering platform will be operated in front of the South Korea support seats for all four matches, with a cheer leader and cheerleaders active in the KBO League leading the on-site cheers. Trumpet performances, which resonated at the 2026 WBC in March, will also be conducted alongside amplification equipment.

Additionally, all participants in the away support group will receive commemorative items: 'KBO X MU:DS National Team New Collaboration Products,' produced through a collaboration between KBO and the National Museum of Korea, which can be utilized for on-site cheering.

Detailed information regarding applications for the 2026 APBC Tokyo Dome away support group packages can be found on the KBO official website and mobile app.

Meanwhile, the KBO Power Enhancement Committee announced a 33-player roster for the APBC. This tournament allows participation of players aged 24 or under (born on or after January 1, 2002) or within their third year of professional affiliation (joined on or after 2024), along with up to three wild card players aged 29 or under (born on or after January 1, 1997). The roster was finalized based on selection criteria aimed at discovering promising talents who will lead the national team in upcoming international tournaments such as the 2027 Premier 12 and the 2028 LA Olympics, while providing them with international tournament experience.

Furthermore, considering that the national team has participated in several international tournaments this year, pitchers who were called up for the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), including Kwak Bin (Doosan), were excluded from the final selection for the purposes of managing player condition and preventing injuries. Pitchers from teams advancing to the Korea Series will also be excluded from the final list. No pitchers affiliated with KT, which has secured a spot in the Korea Series, were selected; should other teams' advancement to the Korea Series be confirmed later, pitchers from those respective teams will be removed from the list. In preparation for this, the national team finalized its roster at 33 players rather than the final 28, maintaining a buffer of five players.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original