On March 7, during the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) Group C match held at Tokyo Dome, the South Korean baseball team, led by coach Ryu Ji-hyun, expressed their strategic planning using the phrase 'Kyeongcheonwiji', which translates to managing the world's affairs systematically. Throughout the game, Ryu's predetermined strategy appeared to initially hold as they managed to balance the match, thanks to key hits from players like Lee Jung-hoo and Kim Hye-sung, equalizing the score at 5-5 after trailing earlier due to multiple home runs hit against their pitchers.

However, the game turned dramatically in the 7th inning when Park Young-hyun, the fifth pitcher for Korea, allowed the leadoff batter to walk, leading to a series of critical plays that resulted in Japanese star Shohei Ohtani reaching base intentionally after a double play. The confusion mounted as left-handed pitcher Kim Young-kyu struggled to find the strike zone, giving up consecutive walks that allowed Japan to take the lead with a push score. Despite a late rally in the 8th inning, Korea could not convert their scoring opportunities, ultimately falling to an 8-6 defeat.

With this loss, South Korea has now not won against Japan in their last 11 matchups, a streak that started since their last victory in the semifinals of the 2015 Premier12 tournament. The team's current record stands at one win and one loss in the tournament, raising concerns about their trajectory and competitiveness against their long-time rivals, Japan.