Former Hanwha Manager Choi Wonho to Lead South Korea Baseball Team

To lead the team at next month's Asia Professional Baseball Championship
Praised for his expertise in roster selection and operations, and international competition experience
Official training camp begins November 2

Former Hanwha Eagles manager Choi Wonho will lead the national baseball team.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced on October 19 that it had appointed Choi as head coach of the national team for the 2026 Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC), which will be held in Tokyo, Japan, from November 12 to 15. His contract runs through the APBC. The KBO praised Choi for his deep understanding of player selection and team operations, as well as the overall environment of international competitions.

Newly appointed national baseball team head coach Choi Wonho. Yonhap News Agency.

Under Choi, the national team will begin its official training camp on November 2 at Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon. The coaching staff who will assist Choi in leading the team will be announced later.

Choi has held a variety of roles in the field over many years, including serving as a professional team manager and a baseball commentator. He began as a bullpen coach for the 2019 WBSC Premier12, and later served as a quality control (QC) coach for the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) and as a pitching coach for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. He helped the national team reach the WBC quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years and led the team to its fifth consecutive Asian Games title with steady management of the pitching staff.

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