[SPOTV News reporter Choi Won-young] Moon Bo-kyung, 26, of the LG Twins, was outstanding.
South Korea beat Australia 7-2 on March 9 at the Tokyo Dome in the final Pool C game of the first round of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Coming into that game, Korea was 1-2 and faced long odds. To advance, it had to hold Australia to two runs or fewer and win by at least five runs to leapfrog Australia and Taiwan, both sitting at 2-2. Korea delivered a dramatic performance and clinched a spot in the quarterfinals — its first trip to the last eight in 17 years.
Moon, the lineup’s offensive standout throughout the tournament, starred again against Australia, finishing 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs.
In the top of the second, with no outs and a runner on first, Moon launched a two-run shot to right-center to put Korea up 2-0. In the third, with one out and a runner at second, he ripped an RBI double to center to make it 4-0. In the fifth, with two outs and a runner on second, he drove in another run with a single to left, extending the lead to 5-0. He later hit into a double play in the seventh and struck out looking in the ninth.
After Korea secured its quarterfinal berth, some Taiwanese fans began posting abusive messages on Moon’s personal social media accounts. Taiwan had kept a slim path to advancement after beating Korea 5-4 in 10 innings on March 8, so the Korea–Australia result could have sent Taiwan through. Moon’s big game, however, ended those hopes.
When Moon posted a photo after the Australia game with the caption “Let’s go Miami!!!!,” his page was flooded. As abusive comments mounted, Korean fans countered with supportive messages such as “We love you, Moon Bo-kyung,” “As a South Korean, I’m so proud,” and “You’re handsome.”
Other Taiwanese fans stepped in to condemn the attacks. One wrote, “Hello. I’m Taiwanese. First, congratulations on advancing to the semifinals, and thank you for putting on a great game. I feel personally angry and ashamed that some people in Taiwan expressed their feelings the wrong way and took it out on you. I believe most Taiwanese feel the same. I want to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize.”
She added, “You worked so hard. Keep going. I sincerely hope you win the WBC.”
Another Taiwanese fan wrote, “Although I’m a Taiwan supporter, I think Moon’s power at the plate is truly impressive. We’re disappointed we didn’t advance, but I sincerely congratulate you on reaching the semifinals. I hope we can meet again in the next international tournament.”
One fan added, “That game was fantastic. I admired Korea’s play a lot. I sincerely hope you keep showing great baseball in Miami. As a Taiwanese fan, I’m sorry that some fans spoke rudely in the heat of the moment. Rules are rules, and we humbly accept that we lost to Australia and did not advance. I hope Taiwan and Korea baseball continue to grow together and one day compete with Japan on equal footing.”
Another message read, “Taiwanese people, please don’t embarrass us anymore. I’m Taiwanese too, and seeing those abusive comments was shocking — it’s rude and unacceptable. No one wants their own players to be insulted. Put yourself in their shoes. I sincerely apologize to the Korean people on behalf of those fans. Not all Taiwanese are like them. We genuinely celebrate Korea’s victory.”
