'Kim Kyungmoon Camp' Also Set to Leave... Hanwha to Overhaul Coaching Staff

Hanwha opts not to renew contracts of coaches Yang Seungkwan, Yang Sangmun, Kim Minho and Kim Jaegul

The Hanwha Eagles, whose manager Kim Kyungmoon and general manager Son Hyuk have stepped down, are also parting ways with key members of the coaching staff who worked alongside Kim. With the so-called “Kim Kyungmoon camp,” which led the team to a runner-up finish in the Korean Series last year, effectively disbanding, Hanwha is set to overhaul its coaching staff under a new manager.

Hanwha announced on October 12 that it had decided not to renew the contracts of head coach Yang Seung-kwan and coaches Yang Sang-moon, Kim Min-ho and Kim Jae-geol.

After manager Kim Kyungmoon and general manager Son Hyuk left the team when their contracts expired following the season finale on October 10, key coaches who had assisted Kim are also set to leave Hanwha.

Kim Kyungmoon, former manager of the Hanwha Eagles. Yonhap News.

Hanwha appointed Kim Kyungmoon as manager in June 2024 after parting ways with former manager Choi Won-ho over poor results. In his first year at the helm, Kim steadied a team that had been struggling. Last year, he led Hanwha to second place in the regular season and a runner-up finish in the Korean Series. It was the first time Hanwha had reached the Korean Series in 19 years, since 2006.

However, after Hanwha finished ninth this season with 57 wins, four draws and 83 losses for a winning percentage of 0.407, failing to reach the postseason, the club opted for sweeping changes.

Kim announced his intention to step down on October 10 at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark, where the season finale was held. The same day, the club officially announced that the contracts of Kim and general manager Son had expired. Two days later, the club also decided to part ways with four key coaches, effectively wiping away the remaining traces of the Kim Kyungmoon era.

Kim did not achieve his dream of winning a championship with Hanwha, but in August last year, in a game against the Lotte Giants, he became the third manager in KBO League history to record 1,000 career wins, following former managers Kim Eung-yong and Kim Seong-geun.

However, a Korean Series title remained out of reach throughout his professional career. With the Doosan Bears, he finished runner-up three times, in 2005, 2007 and 2008. He also led the NC Dinos to a runner-up finish in the 2016 Korean Series. Last year, Hanwha fell to the LG Twins, leaving Kim with a fifth runner-up finish in his career.

General manager Son also left Hanwha after about five years. He joined the club as a roster-strengthening coordinator in December 2021 and was appointed general manager in October 2022, leading roster construction and efforts to strengthen the team.

Hanwha said, “Once the appointment of a new manager is complete, we plan to accelerate the process of selecting the coaching staff.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.