After 16 years, Ryu Hyun-jin dons the Korean national team jersey again; when asked about starting assignment, he responds: "Ask the manager."

The seasoned left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin is set to play for the national team again after his last appearance at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, leading to widespread guesswork over his upcoming pitching schedule. Upon being asked, Ryu declined to reveal details, simply stating that anyone interested should consult the head coach.

Early in his career, Ryu Hyun-jin frequently competed for South Korea, participating in the 2006 Doha Asian Games, 2007 Asian Championship, 2008 Olympic qualifiers, 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2009 World Baseball Classic, and the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. The Guangzhou Asian Games marked his final national team appearance before he moved to the MLB in late 2012, gradually distancing from international play.

In 2024, Ryu returned to Korea in style to continue his playing career, repeatedly expressing his desire to represent the national team once more, which ultimately led to his selection for the 30-man roster of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

As the Korean team conducted its second-phase training in Okinawa, Ryu Hyun-jin only had live pitching action on the 21st against his former team, the Hanwha Eagles, spending the rest of the time adjusting in the bullpen. With curiosity building about which game he might pitch in and whether manager Ryu Ji-hyun has assigned him a specific role, Ryu downplayed the question, remarking, "That’s probably something you should ask the manager."

The Korean team will fly to Osaka, Japan on February 28 to prepare for official warm-up games on March 2 and 3. According to Korean media predictions, Ryu Hyun-jin could make another live appearance in the March 2 game against the Hanshin Tigers. If following a standard starting pitcher’s rest pattern of at least four days, he might feature in the March 7 match against Japan; with five days of rest, he could potentially start in the game between South Korea and Chinese Taipei.