The South Korean national baseball team's journey in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) ended in the quarterfinals, marking a significant moment as it was 17 years since they advanced past the group stage, having previously achieved runner-up in 2009. Despite victories against the Czech Republic and Australia in the group stage, losses to Japan and Taiwan, as well as a decisive 0-10 loss to the Dominican Republic in the quarterfinals, underscored their struggles. The team recorded a batting average of 0.222 with only 7 home runs over five games, while their pitching staff had a troubling average ERA of 5.91, allowing an average of 2 home runs and 4.4 walks per game.

A critical issue highlighted was the incapacity of the Korean team to form a competitive pitching lineup, as their top pitchers, Won Tae-in and Moon Dong-joo, suffered injuries, leaving a significant gap in their rotation. The overall depth of the KBO League pitching pool was called into question, revealing a concerning lack of left-handed starters. Only players like Ryu Hyun-jin and a few others had international experience, leaving them at a disadvantage. Furthermore, the structure of the KBO League, which prioritizes foreign pitchers and veteran players over younger talents, is seen as a hindrance to the development of up-and-coming pitchers, limiting their opportunities in the starting rotation.

Coach Ryu Ji-hyun emphasized that for Korea to enhance its competitiveness in international events, more domestic players need to receive starting opportunities within their clubs. The substantial gap in pitching velocity was also mentioned, with the average fastball speed of team pitchers being only 144.9 km/h during the group stage, indicative of the challenges that lay ahead for Korean baseball if they aim to reclaim their stature on the world stage.