Kang Min-ho breaks down in tears as he ends his 22-year title drought: Samsung’s tearful V9 saga forged by grit, sacrifice and return

[Financial News] The moment Chris Paddack’s all-out final pitch slammed into Kang Min-ho’s mitt, time stood still at Daegu Samsung Lions Park and the field was engulfed in a sea of blue. In that glorious moment when the Samsung Lions claimed their ninth Korean Series title (V9), 12 years after their last, the tears of the four men embracing and weeping on the field held a deep and powerful story of their own.
The first to burst into tears was undoubtedly veteran backstop Kang Min-ho (41). Since his 2004 debut, he had set one record after another over 22 years, including the career record for most appearances, yet the “uncrowned king” had never managed to claim a championship ring.
Though back pain left him unable even to swing the bat properly, he wore the mask throughout all five playoff games and the Korean Series, quietly leading the pitching staff. In the fifth inning of Game 5, with one out and the bases loaded, he could barely manage a swing and awkwardly poked at the ball. When the opposing second baseman’s throwing error allowed two runners to score, Kang clenched his fist and roared as if he sensed the championship was within reach. His bat may have been silent, but the pitchers relied on his veteran work behind the plate to weather one crisis after another. Facing the first championship ring he had won in 22 years, even this battle-hardened veteran broke down in tears like a child.
The tears of “captain” Koo Ja-wook (33) were the fruit of a fierce, blood-and-guts effort. He joined the team in 2012 and made his first-team debut in 2015, but as the team’s dark years stretched on, he had never once touched a championship trophy.

A hamstring injury late in the regular season had made it uncertain whether he could even play, but his sense of responsibility as captain drew him onto the field. Despite being in no condition to play defense, he took the field as a designated hitter and dominated, batting .500 (10 hits in 20 at-bats) with one home run and six RBIs, while expertly directing the dugout and lineup. Koo, who delivered a game-tying RBI hit and scored the go-ahead winning run in Game 5, received near-unanimous support in the press vote and claimed both his first championship ring and the Korean Series MVP award.
The tears of Choi Hyoung-woo (43), the “oldest active player” and well past 40, marked a spectacular “Return of the King.” After leading the Samsung dynasty to four straight titles from 2011 to 2014, he left for the Kia Tigers in 2017. Nine years later, he returned to Daegu in blue once more. Despite his physical limitations, he willingly took on left-field duties for his younger teammates. After a playoff series in which he pounded the ball against his former team, he once again showed off his clutch-hitter instincts at every opportunity in the Korean Series, perfectly restoring the final piece of the dynasty from 12 years earlier.

The final tearful figure was “the ace with blue blood,” Won Tae-in (26). With the team dealt a blow just before the playoffs when closer Kim Jae-yoon was sidelined by injury, the starting ace volunteered without hesitation to move to the bullpen. He endured the unfamiliar pressure of relief pitching solely for the team’s victory. When the starting rotation needed to be reshuffled for Game 5, he again took on a key role and became the winning pitcher who sealed the championship with a gutsy five innings, one run allowed and five strikeouts. His selfless dedication, regardless of his role, was an ace’s sacrifice that made the coronation 12 years in the making all the more glorious.
Twenty-two years of perseverance, burning thighs, the king’s return and an ace’s sacrifice brought the team its ninth title overall after a 12-year wait. The Lions’ blue tears, shimmering across the night sky over Daegu, will be remembered forever as the most beautiful and haunting fall legend of the 2026 KBO League.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter