연합뉴스5 hours agoSports2 min readSouth Korea

Hanwha coach Ryu Ji-hyun says, “We are preparing for a leap forward next year starting with the final training.”

Quick Look

Hanwha Eagles signed a three-year contract with new coach Ryu Ji-hyun worth a total of 2 billion won.
Coach Ryu announced on the 16th that he will establish a coaching staff and training plan before the player meeting, understand the team's situation, and present future directions.
Based on his experience as a national team coach and his ability to use data, he plans to lead the team to improve defense and revive the team.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

After stepping down as manager of the LG Twins in 2022, Manager Ryu Ji-hyun served as head coach of the national baseball team from 2023 to 2024, and led the national team in 2025 to reach the quarterfinals of the WBC and win a gold medal at the Asian Games.

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Busy with coaching staff composition and training plan establishment until the team greeting on the 16th

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Chang Hyun-goo = Ryu Ji-hyun (55), the new manager of the Hanwha Eagles who has returned to professional baseball as a manager after 4 years, delivered a short and bold determination, saying, "I will prepare from the finishing training for a leap forward next season."

The Hanwha club officially announced on the 13th that it had signed a 3-year contract with Manager Ryu for a total of 2 billion won.

Manager Ryu, who stepped down as manager of the LG Twins in 2022 and served as the head coach of the national baseball team from 2023 to 2024, took the helm of the national baseball team in 2025 and returned as a professional manager wearing the Hanwha uniform, based on his achievements of reaching the quarterfinals of this year's World Baseball Classic (WBC) and winning the gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Manager Ryu, who just moved to Daejeon where the club office is located after being appointed, said, "I think I need to ponder the coaching staff composition and well establish the finishing training schedule before the team greeting on the 16th," and added, "I think I can talk about the areas we will focus on in the future only after first grasping the team's situation."

Manager Ryu Ji-hyun's plans, who must lead Hanwha's revival in tandem with the newly appointed General Manager Suk Jang-hyun who was appointed on the same day, are expected to take shape during the finishing training to be held in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.

Given that Manager Ryu achieved outstanding results in the defense and strategy fields during his tenure as coach and manager for LG, expectations are also rising that he will improve Hanwha's chronic defensive mistakes.

Manager Ryu, who is also skilled in utilizing data, opened his eyes to advanced baseball during his tenure as national team manager by touring the cutting-edge analysis facilities of the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB) with the full support of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and learning how to use data.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

Manager Ryu Ji-hyun will complete the formation of the coaching staff by the 16th before the team greeting.
Likely · Within days
The Hanwha Eagles' defensive skills are expected to improve under the tenure of Manager Ryu Ji-hyun.
Possible · Within months

Open Questions

What kind of coaching staff will Manager Ryu Ji-hyun specifically put together?
What are the specific plans to improve the Hanwha Eagles' defense?
How will training innovation be achieved through the use of data?