The Republic of Korea, more commonly known as South Korea, has established a winning baseball history. South Korea established the Korean Baseball Organization in 1981 to organize the country's participation in international baseball events. It goes by the name of Korea during competitions. Choo Shin-soo, an outfielder with the Cleveland Indians, is the Korean national team's best-known player.
Korean Baseball: Early Years
The Korean national team, in its early years, competed in the Asian Baseball Championships. In 1954 and 1955, Korea won bronze medals in the tournament. Korea won the silver medal in 1959, finishing behind Japan. In 1962, Korea finished the tournament with a bronze medal. In 1963, Korea won its first gold medal by defeating Japan. The Koreans won another gold medal in the 1971 Asian Baseball Championships, defeating Japan in the finals.
1972 to 1985
Korea continued to be a strong team throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s. The Koreans won another gold medal in the Asian Baseball Championships in 1975 and 1983. Korea started to participate in other international tournaments. Korea won the International Cup in 1977. In 1978, it competed in the Baseball World Cup and won the bronze medal. In 1982, Korea won the gold medal in the Baseball World Cup, defeating Japan. In 1985, it competed in the International Cup and won the silver medal.
1986 to 1999
In the late 1980s throughout the 1990s, the Korean national team continued to play at an elite level. Korea won silver in the 1986 Baseball World Cup. The Koreans added a gold in the 1989 Asian Baseball Championships. From 1990 to 1999, the Koreans won a total of two bronze medals, five silvers and three golds in various international baseball tournaments. A notable victory during this decade was when Korea defeated Japan, 13-1, in the finals of the Asian Games in 1998.
2000 to 2011
During the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympic Games, the Korean team had a record of four wins and three losses, which earned it the bronze medal. In 2002, Korea won gold at the Asian Games. In 2008, Korea made its second baseball appearance in the Olympics, in Beijing. Underdog Korea defeated countries such as Japan, the United States, Canada and Cuba to capture the team's first baseball Olympic gold medal. Following the Olympic Games, Korea went on to capture the 2009 silver medal in the World Baseball Classic, and won a gold medal in the 2010 Asian Games.
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