South Korea secured a place in the 2026 Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) final on Thursday after a 6-4 victory over Chinese Taipei at the Tokyo Dome.
The win, the team’s first of the tournament, allowed Choi Won-ho’s squad to overcome earlier losses to Australia and Japan by finishing with a superior Team Quality Balance (TQB).
The tournament, which features players aged 24 or younger or those with fewer than three years of professional experience, serves as a developmental stage for rising talent in Asian baseball. Despite opening the event with defeats—an 8-7 loss to Australia and a 9-5 loss to Japan—South Korea maintained its composure to keep its championship hopes alive, according to reports from the Tokyo venue.
Early Offensive Momentum
South Korea’s bats found rhythm in the third inning. After a scoreless first two frames, Park Jae-hyun ignited the offense with a 115-meter solo home run over the right-field wall. The rally continued as South Korea loaded the bases, leading to an RBI single from Kim Hui-jip and an additional run-scoring single from An Jae-seok to build a multi-run cushion.
Chinese Taipei responded in the fifth inning. Tseng Sheng-an hit a 115-meter solo home run, followed by a two-run shot from Chang Jen-wei that briefly narrowed the gap. However, South Korea reclaimed momentum in the bottom of the fifth when Kim Do-yeong hit a 120-meter solo home run to right-center field.
Securing the Victory
The pitching staff held firm under pressure. Starting pitcher Lee Ro-woon delivered 97 pitches over six innings, allowing three hits and two home runs while striking out nine batters. Following his exit, the bullpen trio of Cho Dong-wook, Choi Jun-yong, and Park Jeong-min limited Chinese Taipei’s opportunities to preserve the lead.
South Korea added insurance in the sixth and seventh innings. Cho Hyeong-u opened the sixth with a double and later scored on an RBI double from Park, while Moon Jeong-bin extended the lead with a 115-meter solo home run in the seventh. Although Tseng hit his second home run of the game for Chinese Taipei in the seventh, the deficit proved too large to overcome.
South Korea Faces Japan for First APBC Title
The APBC, established in 2017, allows for three wild-card roster spots for players under the age of 29. South Korea, having finished as runners-up in both 2017 and 2023, entered this tournament aiming for its first title. The team overcame a difficult start before defeating Chinese Taipei to reach the final.
The final is scheduled to take place at the Tokyo Dome on Friday at 7:00 p.m. local time. South Korea will face Japan to determine the tournament champion.
