South Korea team wins 16-6 in today's warm-up game against Samsung, Ryu Hyun-jin's pitching debut postponed to Osaka.

As reported by South Korean media "Sports Dong-A" on February 26, the national team achieved a 16-6 win against the Samsung Lions in a warm-up game in Okinawa, Japan. Ahn Hyun-min and Kim Do-young consecutively hit home runs, including a grand slam by Ahn Hyun-min.

Manager Ryu Ji-hyun stated in a pre-game interview that veteran left-handed pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin will not pitch on the 27th. The team will relocate to Osaka after the warm-up game against the KT Wiz on the 27th, preparing for two warm-up matches against the Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffaloes on March 2 and 3. Ryu Ji-hyun indicated that the starting pitcher for the March 2 game is likely to be the same starter for the March 8 game against Chinese Taipei.

"The starting pitcher for March 2 is practically an open secret, even if not officially announced," Ryu Ji-hyun admitted, without disclosing the specific name. In the team's game on the 26th, So Hyeong-jun started for three innings, Jung Woo-joo pitched for two innings, and left-handed pitcher Song Seung-jun is expected to start on the 27th.

Japan team's chief coach, Kaneko Makoto, also attended the game. He mentioned that after seeing Ahn Hyun-min hit two home runs at the Tokyo Dome last November, he wanted to personally observe this player's off-season preparation. Kaneko acknowledged that the Japanese team has often conceded early runs in recent matches against South Korea, an area requiring reflection.

Regarding the starting pitcher for the first round, Kaneko Makoto said the decision is largely finalized. When asked to predict who would start against South Korea, he smiled and replied, "The manager would be upset if I said," avoiding a direct answer.