Seoul: The coaching staff for the national baseball team competing at next month's Asian Games was announced Tuesday. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and the Korea Baseball Softball Association unveiled the six-man staff set to work under manager Ryu Ji-hyun, aiming to lead South Korea to its fifth consecutive gold medal.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the team includes three former KBO club managers and one collegiate manager. Kang In-kwon, who served as bench coach for Ryu at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March, will reprise his role. Kang, previously manager of the NC Dinos, is currently the quality control coach for Hanwha Eagles.

Lee Dong-wook, another former Dinos manager, returns as the fielding coach, a position he held during the WBC. Choi Won-ho, the pitching coach, previously worked as the quality control coach for the WBC team and has been a color commentator since last year.

KT Wiz's quality control coach, Park Kyung-su, makes his first appearance on a national team staff as the hitting coach. Choi Tae-won, manager of Kyung Hee University, joins as the strategy coach, having served on coaching staffs for six KBO clubs.

Choi Gi-moon, bench coach for minor league club Ulsan Whales, is named the battery coach, a role he previously held at the 2014 Asian Games and the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12.

The KBO stated that Ryu held his first meeting with his staff Monday at the KBO headquarters in Seoul. The national team, comprising entirely KBO players, will convene at the team hotel on Sept. 14 and train at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul for three days before departing for Nagoya on Sept. 18.

In the preliminary round, South Korea will compete in Group B against Chinese Taipei on Sept. 21, Hong Kong on Sept. 22, and Thailand on Sept. 23. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Round, with the final scheduled for Sept. 27.