WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL C - CHINESE TAIPEI VS KOREA

March 8, 2026

Ji-Hyun Ryu

Tokyo Dome

Team Korea

Pregame Press Conference

Q. You played hard, and I assume you didn't have enough sleep, the entire team. How do you maintain your condition?

JI-HYUN RYU: Well, the schedule is fixed already, so we know what to do by preparation. And I think about 12 hours in between games from last night to today, so we maintained and we did as we planned, and after last night's game, when we got home, had a team dinner, and the atmosphere was not as different as usual.

So as a manager, so far this morning, I have no problem playing a day game after a night game so I a lot of to it.

Q. Looking back at yesterday's defeat and your two previous games against Chinese Taipei and the next one is Team Australia, these are very important games for you. Especially for today's game against Chinese Taipei, what is your game plan and scenario?

JI-HYUN RYU: Yes, as you guys watched last night's game, Moon Bo-gyeong, he hit the fence, and I think he got hurt a little bit in his lower back.

So in order to secure his condition, we changed the lineup from No. 1 to No. 6 remaining the same order, Kim Do-yeong seventh and third baseman, Kim Do-yeong and Whitcomb will play first base. And these are the things we changed from the previous games.

Q. Starting pitcher for Chinese Taipei, how do you evaluate him as a starting pitcher? And your lefty is going to start for today's contest. How do you expect him pitching?

JI-HYUN RYU: Yes, our starting pitcher, since the beginning of Okinawa training camp, we have enough scouting report. However, Ming, he pitched against -- well, Ming, what I heard is he's not available pitching for today, and not only the starting pitcher, we have enough scouting report for all the pitchers. So we are not afraid of it.

And starting pitcher for us, he has a very good record and I'm counting on him.

Q. Last night you played against Japan. Today you play against Chinese Taipei, them you play Australia. Thinking about the bullpen, it might be a very difficult puzzle making a game plan not only today and tomorrow because you are playing three games. How do you manage this bullpen?

JI-HYUN RYU: Yes, to be honest with you, at the primary round in Tokyo Dome, the primary round and with a tough prefixed schedules, as a manager and as a team, although we planned previously, the game does not always go as we planned. We have to face uncertain fact a lot.

So we have to manage through the game and with the game and we might need to make a slight change. Sometimes we have to save power and extra room for the next games.

On the other hand, I'm not saying that today is not an important game. We have to fork what we can do and as always, as I said, I am always planning previous.

Today's starting pitcher, what I'm ready for today's game, they are the most reliable pitchers on our reporter, and I'm counting on him. Once the day is over, our challenge continues for tomorrow's game as well.

Q. Last night a lot of players were feel regret because of the defeat by Japan. What was your comment to the players?

JI-HYUN RYU: Yes, recollecting last night's defeat, although what result is came out, one loss doesn't change a lot. My trust in my players never changed from the beginning of the Tokyo first Game 1 through the end of the Australian game. I truly trust my players, only and unless we are losing or winning last night's games, I have no specific message from me as a manager to the players.

So I have nothing to say to you right now. Looking back at yesterday's game, before the game starts, they pump up a little talk. By watching it, it was pleasing that our teams are getting together as one unit with bonding, team bonding. It makes me happy, and playing baseball, as a manager, one of my rules is have their back. That's my role, as a manager.