Seoul: Doosan Bears catcher Yang Eui-ji earned his record-tying 10th career Golden Glove on Tuesday. Yang collected 278 out of 316 votes cast by media for the award, presented annually to the best overall players at each position in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). LG Twins backstop Park Dong-won was a distant second with 23 votes.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this was Yang's ninth Golden Glove at catcher, and he won one as designated hitter (DH) in 2021. With those 10 Golden Gloves, Yang pulled into a tie with Lee Seung-yuop, former Samsung Lions superstar and Yang's ex-manager with the Bears, for the most in KBO history. The nine Golden Gloves as catcher gave Yang the most at a single position -- breaking a tie with Han Dae-hwa's eight Golden Gloves at third base.
Yang won his second career batting title with a .337 average, becoming the first catcher to lead the KBO in that category twice. He also led all backstops with 153 hits, 27 doubles, 89 RBIs and an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of .939. Last year, Yang didn't log enough innings or plate appearances to be eligible for a Golden Glove either at catcher or DH, and he said he used that missed call as fuel. "I am really honored to win this award," Yang said. "I didn't get to play enough games last year because of injuries, and that made me work really hard for this season. I'd like to thank our team's trainers and coaching staff for helping me stay healthy and play at a high level throughout the season."
Samsung Lions DH Choi Hyoung-woo collected his eighth Golden Glove, while breaking his own record for the oldest winner at 41, one week before his 42nd birthday. He also collected the most votes Tuesday with 309. In 2025, Choi put together his most productive season in five years, batting .307/.399/.529 with 24 home runs and 86 RBIs while playing for the Kia Tigers. Choi, who signed with the Lions as a free agent last week, tied for seventh in the KBO in home runs and ranked fifth in on-base percentage, seventh in slugging percentage and fifth in OPS. Choi first played for the Lions from 2002 to 2005 and again from 2008 to 2016. He's now rejoining them after nine seasons with the Tigers. After accepting his Golden Glove, Choi choked back tears while thanking his ex-Tigers teammates on the stage. "You guys have all thanked me, but I am the one that should be thankful," Choi said. "We will get to meet again someday."
Kiwoom Heroes third baseman Song Sung-mun claimed his first Golden Glove with 268 votes. He was tops among third basemen in hits (181), batting average (.315), on-base percentage (.387), slugging percentage (.530), runs (103) and steals (25). This could also be Song's last Golden Glove for a while, if not ever. He has been posted for Major League Baseball clubs and may take his talent across the Pacific next season. "I couldn't have imagined ever winning this award just two years ago," said Song, who had his first breakout season last year at 28. "My wife is expecting our first child, and I am happy to be a father that our daughter can be proud of. I will try to be a good father and a good baseball player for her."
The regular-season MVP Cody Ponce was a landslide winner at pitcher, after collecting 307 out of 316 votes. Ponce, after winning the Triple Crown for the Hanwha Eagles this year as the league leader with 17 wins, a 1.89 ERA and a league-record 252 strikeouts, signed with the Toronto Blue Jays last week. This was his first Golden Glove and likely his last.
Lions first baseman Lewin Diaz also earned his first Golden Glove in his second KBO season with 303 votes. He led the league with 50 home runs, the most ever by a foreign player, while setting a single-season record with 158 RBI.
KT Wiz outfielder Ahn Hyun-min became the ninth player to win both the Rookie of the Year award and a Golden Glove in the same season, earning 251 votes. The 22-year-old slugger led the KBO with a .448 on-base percentage while finishing second with a .334 batting average and third with a .570 slugging percentage. He also topped all freshmen with 22 homers and 80 RBIs.
The two other winners in the outfield were: Koo Ja-wook of the Lions (217 votes) and Victor Reyes of the Lotte Giants (131 votes). Koo had his typically productive season, putting up a .319/.402/.516 line with 19 homers, 96 RBIs and a league-best 106 runs scored. Reyes won his second straight Golden Glove after leading the KBO with 187 hits and finishing third with 107 RBIs. The battle for the final outfield spot was also the closest, as Kim Seong-yoon of the Lions finished only 15 votes behind Reyes. Kim ranked among the league leaders in batting average, on-base percentage, runs, hits and steals.
Both middle infielders were also first-time recipients: LG Twins second baseman Shin Min-jae (282 votes) and NC Dinos shortstop Kim Ju-won (260 votes). Shin, 29, set career highs across the board with a .313 average, 145 hits, 87 runs and 61 RBIs. He drew 62 walks and only struck out 57 times. Kim also enjoyed his most productive offensive season at 23, with a .289/.379/.451 line, 15 home runs and 65 RBIs. He ranked second in the KBO with eight triples and 44 steals, and third with 98 runs scored.
The KBO created the Manager of the Year award this year, and LG Twins skipper Youm Kyoung-youb was named the inaugural winner after leading his team to the regular-season title and also the Korean Series crown. Youm received 71 of 125 votes.