The 10th Taegeuk mark was the last. Kim Hyun-soo (LG Twins), who served as the captain of the Korean baseball team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), puts down the Taegeuk mark.

Kim Hyun-soo met with the reporters after the 2023 WBC 1st round Group B final match against China held at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 13th and said, “I am done now. This is the last time I will wear a Korean uniform.”

He was born in 1988 and is 35 years old this year. 스포츠토토 Kim Hyun-soo said, “I’m getting older. I didn’t do well twice in a row in international competitions. I think it’s time to come down.”

Kim Hyun-soo, who confessed his feelings by saying he would return his Taegeuk mark, even brought tears to his eyes.

This tournament with the last Taegeuk mark left only deep regret for Kim Hyun-soo.

Korea suffered the humiliation of being eliminated in the first round of three consecutive tournaments following 2013 and 2017.

Kim Hyun-soo also swallowed regret in his personal grades. His batting average was just 0.111 (1-for-9) in his three games. In the match against the Czech Republic, he attempted a diving catch in the 7th inning, but gave up a long hit as the ball fell backwards.

Kim Hyun-soo said, “All the players prepared well, but it’s unfortunate that they couldn’t show their skills that much. All the players did well, and the coach also adjusted to the players.” I didn’t get good grades.

Kim Hyun-soo, who wore the Taegeuk mark for the 10th time, experienced both the glory and humiliation of Korean baseball.

In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when he was first selected for the adult national team, he wrote a gold medal myth of winning all 9 matches. He enjoyed the joy of winning the runner-up in the 2009 WBC and the 2015 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12.

On the other hand, he suffered pain at the 2013 WBC and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021.

Kim Hyun-soo, who had made an extraordinary determination by considering this tournament as the stage of the ‘last dance’, could not overcome the burden as captain and could not shake off the tension.

Kim Hyun-soo said, “My heart hurts. I worked hard not to hear that I came to play.”

Looking back on his 15 years of national team life, Kim Hyun-soo said, “When I came as the youngest, when I was young, I felt a great sense of pressure. I remember playing baseball with my seniors a lot.” I feel bad because I can’t create an atmosphere where I can relax.”

Kim Hyeon-soo, now putting down the Taegeuk mark, advised his juniors to shake off the burden.

He said, “I did my best while preparing and playing. But I have to overcome the pressure. It is most important for the players to create an environment where they can enjoy without feeling pressure,” he said. “I was nervous, and the players were also nervous.