Seoul: In an early departure from the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 in Taipei this month, South Korea was hampered by a lack of depth among its young, homegrown starting pitchers. South Korea's fate was sealed on Sunday, its first off day of the tournament, when Japan and Chinese Taipei secured spots in the Super Round as the top two teams in Group B. The South Korean team will not finish higher than third, regardless of its outcome against Australia in the final Group B game scheduled for later on Monday. According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's starting pitchers struggled to perform in the tournament, failing to go deep in all four games before Monday, which consequently placed additional pressure on the bullpen. Starters with varying degrees of success in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) often faltered against opposing hitters during their second run through the order. In their opening game, a 6-3 loss to Chinese Taipei on Wednesday, KT Wiz's Ko Young-pyo was removed af ter just two innings, having allowed all six runs in the second inning. Even in their 8-4 victory over Cuba on Thursday, Doosan Bears' Gwak Been managed only four innings, necessitating six pitchers to cover the remaining five innings, an undesirable situation ahead of a major showdown against Japan. On Friday, another Bears starter, Choi Seung-yong, lasted only 1 2/3 innings against Japan, resulting in a 6-3 loss for South Korea, with the bullpen unable to maintain a 3-2 lead. Kia Tigers reliever Kwak Do-gyu was tasked with pitching for three consecutive days, a first in his career. During the match against the Dominican Republic on Saturday, LG Twins' Im Chan-kyu gave up three runs in three innings, and the bullpen allowed three more runs before the team rallied for a 9-6 victory. Im Chan-kyu was a last-minute addition to the national team after Samsung Lions' starter Won Tae-in was sidelined due to a shoulder injury. Other promising pitchers like Son Ju-young and Moon Dong-ju were also unavailable due to injuries, hindering manager Ryu Joong-il's plans to form a rotation with young, hard-throwing hurlers. The roster was predominantly youthful, with 18 players aged 25 or younger, as the KBO aimed to build for future international competitions. Despite injuries, manager Ryu had to include veteran starters like Ko and Im, the only pitchers over 30 on the team, but both were underwhelming. Despite the challenges, South Korea had several standout performers. Tigers third baseman Kim Do-yeong shone with a two-homer performance against Cuba and impressed with his fielding skills. His tournament stats prior to Monday included a .308/.357/.923 batting line, leading the team in home runs and RBIs. Meanwhile, SSG Landers shortstop Park Seong-han also excelled, maintaining a strong on-base plus slugging percentage and delivering crucial hits against the Dominican Republic. On the pitching front, five KBO closers were selected, with Park Yeong-hyun and You Young-chan proving to be the most effective. Park successfully c losed the game against the Dominican Republic, while You delivered a solid performance against Japan. Eagles reliever Kim Seo-hyeon displayed promising potential, pitching three shutout innings with three strikeouts, showcasing the skills that made him a top pick in the 2022 KBO draft.