'Holiday Disaster': Ryu Ji-hyun's South Korea Routed 0-5 by 'Corporate-League' Japan, Final Berth in Jeopardy [Nagoya Asian Games]

[Financial News] Ryu Ji-hyun's South Korea, seeking its fifth consecutive baseball gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, saw its hopes of reaching the final thrown into jeopardy after suffering a humiliating defeat to Japan, whose roster consists entirely of corporate-league baseball players.
South Korea's national baseball team, led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, was shut out 0-5 by Japan in the first Super Round game between the two sides at the Asian Games on the 25th, amid a severe slump both at the plate and on the mound.
As a result, South Korea, which went 3-0 in group play and advanced with one win carried over from its game against Chinese Taipei, now has a 1-1 record in the Super Round. Japan, meanwhile, improved to 2-0 and gained a strong position to advance directly to the final. This is South Korea's first Asian Games loss to Japan in 20 years, since the 2006 Doha Asian Games, known as the "Doha disaster," following the 1998 Bangkok Games, when professional players were first allowed to compete.
South Korea was completely held in check by Japan's starting left-hander, Shin Higuchi. South Korea managed just four hits over seven innings, and even those opportunities were squandered by three double plays through the sixth inning. KBO League home run leader and leadoff hitter KIM Do-young (KIA) went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, while No. 3 hitter Roh Si-hwan (Hanwha) grounded into back-to-back double plays in the first and fourth innings, snuffing out potential rallies. No. 4 hitter Moon Bo-kyung (LG) also went hitless in three at-bats.
The mound also wavered. So Hyeong-jun (KT), making the start, gave up a one-run double to Motoki Mukoyama with one out and runners on first and second in the bottom of the third. A ground ball and a throwing error by shortstop Kim Ju-won compounded the trouble, and So quickly surrendered three runs. He struggled through three innings, allowing four hits, two walks and three runs, two of them earned. Jo Byeong-hyeon (SSG) and Park Yeong-hyun (KT), who came on in the bottom of the sixth, were also tagged for RBI hits and gave up two more runs, effectively ending South Korea's hopes.
Ryu Ji-hyun could not hide his dismay after the shocking loss. After the game, manager Ryu said, "We prepared for Japan's left-handed ace, Shin Higuchi, but the game did not unfold as we had expected." He added, "I'm concerned about the lineup's ability to string hits together and generate a big offensive burst. I'll reconsider the batting order at the team hotel for tomorrow." He also apologized to fans, saying, "We had not anticipated any of the scenarios for reaching the final. We planned to beat China and prepare for the final after winning the Korea-Japan game."
Whether South Korea reaches the final now depends on the qualification scenarios. It must beat China in the second Super Round game at 6:30 p.m. on the 26th and then watch the result of the Chinese Taipei-Japan game later that day. If Japan beats Chinese Taipei, South Korea will finish second in the group and play Japan in a rematch for the gold medal on the 27th. However, if Chinese Taipei defeats Japan, South Korea, Japan and Chinese Taipei will all be tied at 2-1. In that case, TQB (team quality balance, or run differential per inning) among the tied teams will have to be calculated to determine the two finalists, creating a complicated situation.
[email protected] Park Ji-hyun Reporter