Jung Hoo Lee of Team Korea hit an RBI double to make it 2-10 in the third inning during the World Baseball Classic Pool B game between Korea and China at Tokyo Dome on March 13, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Kenta Harada/Getty Images)
The Korea Baseball Organization has proposed an All-Star Game between players from the KBO and players representing Japan’s top league, Nippon Professional Baseball.
The proposal comes after Korea was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic in pool play, despite being a favorite to advance out of Pool B, which was played at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. Korea went 2-2 in pool play, losing to Australia and Japan and defeating China and the Czech Republic.
Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported the proposal on March 22. Multiple games between teams from Korea and Japan are part of the proposal, though Japan has yet to reply.
The KBO made the proposal as part of a plan to help improve Korean baseball following the World Baseball Classic.
Chosun Ilbo reported that the KBO stated in a March 16 apology regarding Korea’s performance at the WBC, “KBO decided to come up with mid- to long-term measures to improve the league performance and the national team’s competitiveness as soon as possible.”
“In addition, by cooperating with each organization and listening to the opinions of external experts, we will strengthen the performance of the KBO League and based on this, we will do our best to help the national team achieve better results in international competitions,” the statement said.
