[MyDaily = Incheon Airport reporter Lee Jeong-won] Honestly, I don't even know where to start.
At Tokyo Dome on March 9, in Pool C of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, South Korea needed to hold opponents to two runs or fewer and win by at least five runs to advance to the next round.
Starter Son Ju-young (LG Twins) retired the side in the first inning but felt a sudden pain while preparing for the second. The Korean bench quickly summoned No Kyung-eun (SSG Landers). Thrown into the fire, No stayed composed. He worked through the second and third scoreless innings, helping Korea secure a 7-2 victory.
Manager Ryu Ji-hyun praised the outing, calling No's performance truly admirable.
No Kyung-eun recorded a scoreless inning against the Czech Republic in the opener, a 1/3-inning scoreless appearance vs. Taiwan, and two scoreless frames vs. Australia — carrying a 0.00 ERA in the tournament so far.
No is well into his 40s, but his arm is as reliable as ever. After the 2021 season he was released by the Lotte Giants and earned an SSG roster spot through a tryout. In 2022 he appeared in 41 games (12-5, 1 save, 7 holds, 3.05 ERA). In 2023 he pitched in 76 games (9-5, 2 saves, 30 holds, 3.58 ERA), posting his first 30-hold season. He followed that with 77 appearances in 2024 (8-5, 38 holds, 2.90 ERA), claiming his first holds title and recording 30+ holds for a second straight year. After the 2024 season he re-signed on a 2+1 year deal worth up to 2.5 billion KRW (approximately 1.875 million USD). In 2025 he again made 77 appearances (3-6, 3 saves, 35 holds, 2.14 ERA), becoming the KBO's first pitcher to notch three consecutive 30-hold seasons and capturing his second straight holds title.
After returning from spring camp on March 9, SSG manager Lee Seung-yong emphasized the value of veterans. \"This is exactly why you need experienced players,\" he said. \"When younger guys buckle under pressure, veterans step in. You can't overlook experience. The fact that Kyung-eun can still take the mound at his age speaks volumes about his performance. He's not much for words — he lets his actions do the talking. I have a lot of respect for him.\"
Lee added that neither Kyung-eun nor Byeong-hyun are officially back with the club yet and expressed hope they finish strong with the national team. Once they return, the club will coordinate with the pitching coach, training staff and front office to manage their workload across the 144-game season — deciding through conversation whether to give extra rest or ramp them up slowly.
