South Korea’s baseball national team, fresh off reaching the World Baseball Classic (WBC) quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years, hit an unexpected snag on the return trip home.
The charter flight experienced delays from airline operations, leaving players in a prolonged wait at their Miami hotel.
Officials announced in the early hours of March 15 that the flight, originally slated to touch down at Incheon International Airport at 8:40 p.m., now faces about six hours of postponement. Arrival shifts to early March 16.
Turbulent Path to Quarterfinals
Director Ryu Ji-hyun guided the squad through a dramatic run. In Tokyo Dome’s pool play, defeats to Japan and Taiwan threatened early exit, but a vital win over Australia clinched advancement in what became known as the ‘Tokyo Miracle.’
The achievement snapped a streak of three straight first-round eliminations dating back to 2009.
However, the quarterfinal against the Dominican Republic on March 14 at Miami’s LoanDepot Park delivered a crushing 0-10 mercy-rule defeat in the seventh inning.
Jet Lag and Fatigue Mount
Players grapple with unsettled jet lag amid the delay, amplifying exhaustion ahead of a national holiday.
MLB Stars Stay for Spring Training
Only KBO League players board the charter. Tournament standouts like Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants), Kim Hye-seong (LA Dodgers), Go Woo-seok, Jemai Johnson, Sei Witcomb, Dane Dunning, and fellow Major Leaguers remain in Miami for their clubs’ spring camps.
