Taipei: South Korea didn't have much to celebrate at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 in Taipei this month, as it was eliminated in the opening round before playing its final game Monday. However, the breakout performance by its star third baseman Kim Do-yeong certainly qualified as cause for celebration. According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim put an exclamation mark to his memorable tournament by hitting a home run and driving in four runs in South Korea's 5-2 win over Australia in the teams' final Group B game at Taipei Tianmu Baseball Stadium in Taipei. Kim, 21, was hyped up by the WBSC as one of the players to watch at this tournament. The All-Star for the Kia Tigers in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) lived up to the expectations, swinging the bat with authority and flashing the kind of power that made him the presumptive KBO regular-season MVP in 2024. Kim first served notice in an 8-4 win over Cuba on Thursday, when he smacked two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in five runs. South Korea had a scare during Saturday's game against the Dominican Republic, when Kim was removed during the sixth inning with left hip discomfort. He appeared to tweak it in an attempt to tag a runner behind his back on a steal attempt.