Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim wants to play for South Korea in the World Baseball Classic in 2026. Before he can do so, though, he has to wait for permission from the Dodgers.

Hyeseong Kim had a slash line of .280/.314/.699 last season with three home runs and 17 RBIs. Kim also had 13 stolen bases for the Dodgers, too.

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According to a South Korean news outlet, in a story translated from Korean into English, Kim said when interviewed back on Dec. 4, “I asked the club to participate (in the WBC) and I am waiting for a response. If the club allows me and I am selected for the national team, I will go out unconditionally.”

The story indicates that the Korea Baseball Organization will hold a training camp for the WBC starting on Jan. 9 in Saipan.

Besides Hyeseong Kim, another South Korean player in MLB is the San Francisco Giants’ Jung-hoo Lee. The article also mentioned free agent Ha-Seong Kim. Ha-Seong Kim played for the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves last season after playing four seasons for the San Diego Padres.

On Monday night, though, the Braves announced that Ha-Seong Kim would be returning to the ballclub on a one-year deal.

Last season was Hyeseong Kim’s first one in the majors. He saw limited playing time during the Dodgers’ postseason run against the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays.

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“Jung-hoo is the core of the national team, so he must go to the WBC unconditionally,” Hyeseong Kim said in the interview. “Ha Sung didn’t ask about the WBC because it was an important time for him to become a free agent.

“I want to go to the first camp if the club allows it, but I don’t know yet,” Hyeseong Kim said. “If we get a reply from the club, I think the departure date will be set.”

Hyeseong Kim made his comments when appearing on Dec. 4 at the Sports Seoul Annual Awards ceremony in Seoul.

For any player who wants to represent his country, the WBC has become a big part of their story. The Dodgers will want to make sure players taking part in the WBC will not overexert themselves ahead of next season.

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Right now, Will Smith will be representing Team USA. Three Dodgers – Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki – are slated to play for Team Japan. Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes will make sure his pitchers get the proper amount of time on the mound for the WBC.

But Gomes and Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman will monitor what happens with them and will want to stay connected with Team Japan, too.

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