South Korea Names 33-Player Roster for 2026 APBC
South Korea named a 33-player provisional roster for the 2026 APBC at Tokyo Dome, led by Kim Do-yeong, Kim Joo-won and Ahn Hyun-min.
World Baseball News Editorial Team , 2 min read 
South Korea named a 33-player provisional roster on Tuesday, October 13, for the 2026 Asia Professional Baseball Championship, bringing together many of the KBO League’s leading young players for next month’s tournament at Tokyo Dome.
Kim Do-yeong of the KIA Tigers, Kim Joo-won of the NC Dinos and KT Wiz outfielder Ahn Hyun-min headline a group designed not only to compete in Tokyo but also to prepare Korea’s next international core for the 2027 Premier12 and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
- Tournament: 2026 Asia Professional Baseball Championship
- Dates: November 12–15
- Venue: Tokyo Dome, Japan
- Teams: South Korea, Japan, Chinese Taipei and Australia
- Final roster size: 28 players
Kim Do-yeong leads a young Korea roster
The Korea Baseball Organization selected the squad after its Strengthening Committee met on Monday. Alongside Kim Do-yeong, Kim Joo-won and Ahn, the initial roster includes Hanwha Eagles infielder Moon Hyun-bin, Samsung Lions second baseman Kim Ji-chan and Lotte Giants players Han Dong-hee and Choi Jun-yong.
Doosan Bears standout Choi Min-seok, Lotte pitcher Kim Jin-wook, KIA outfielder Park Jae-hyun and LG Twins prospect Moon Jung-bin were also included after strong 2026 seasons. KIA supplied a roster-high five players.
Kim Ji-chan, Han Dong-hee and Choi Jun-yong occupy the three available wild-card places. APBC eligibility is otherwise limited to players born on or after January 1, 2002, or players who entered professional baseball in 2024 or later. Wild cards may be used on players born on or after January 1, 1997.
Pitching group will change after KBO postseason
The 33-player list will be reduced to 28 before the tournament. Korea plans to exclude pitchers who appeared at the 2026 World Baseball Classic as part of a workload-management decision, while pitchers whose clubs reach the Korean Series will also be removed from the final APBC roster.
That policy already kept pitchers from regular-season champion KT out of the provisional group. Further adjustments will follow as the KBO postseason develops and if injuries affect the selected players.
The national team will assemble on November 1 and train in South Korea from November 2–8 before travelling to Japan on November 9. Postseason commitments could change how many players join the full domestic camp.
APBC offers a preview of Korea’s next international core
The four-team event uses a three-game round-robin format. The top two countries advance to the championship game, while the other two meet for third place.
The APBC was created to give younger professional players experience in international competition. Previous Korean squads included Lee Jung-hoo, Kim Ha-seong and Kim Hye-seong before they became established stars, making this roster announcement an early look at the group Korea expects to carry into its next major international cycle.
