Junhyun Park, WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Star, Selected No. 1 Overall in KBO Draft

The 2025 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) Draft saw the Kiwoom Heroes select right-handed pitcher Junhyun Park from Bugil High School in Cheonan as the first overall pick. Park, who showcased his talent by starting two games for Korea’s fourth-place team at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2025 in Okinawa, impressed with a fastball clocked at 157 km/h (98 mph).

Junhyun Park follows in legendary footsteps—his father, Sokmin Park, was a five-time Korean Series champion and All-Star third baseman, notably with the Samsung Lions and ND Dinos. Junhyun will honor that legacy by wearing his father’s iconic No. 18 jersey.

With top Korean pitching prospects Kim Seong-jun (Texas Rangers) and Moon Seo-jun (Toronto Blue Jays) heading to Major League Baseball, the Kiwoom Heroes’ decision to pick Park was seen as a strategic move to secure a premier arm domestically.

U-18 Standouts Shine in Early Rounds

KBO teams selected four additional members of the Korean U-18 National Team in the first round, emphasizing the depth of talent on display at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup.

• No. 2 pick: NC Dinos drafted infielder Jaein Shin of Yushin High School, Korea’s starting third baseman at the tournament.

• No. 3 pick: Hanwha Eagles chose Jaewon Oh, also from Yushin High, Korea’s starting center fielder.

• No. 4 pick: Lotte Giants selected right-handed pitcher Dongkun Shin from Dongsan High School, who started twice for Korea.

• The Kiwoom Heroes, having acquired Kia Tigers’ first-round pick in a trade, made a second first-round selection with Hangyeol Park, an infielder from Jeonju High School and Korea’s starting second baseman at the U-18 World Cup.

Other First-Round Picks Not From the U-18 Squad

Several first-round selections came from outside the U-18 roster, including:

• Kim Min-jun (Daegu High School), a pitcher picked fifth by the SSG Landers.

• Park Ji-hun (Jeonju High School), a pitcher taken sixth by the KT Wiz.

• Kim Ju-oh (Masan Yongma High School), an outfielder selected seventh by Doosan Bears.

• Yang Woo-jin (Gyeonggi Aviation High School), a pitcher drafted eighth by LG Twins.

• Lee Ho-beom (Seoul High School), a right-handed pitcher taken ninth by Samsung Lions.

U-18 Talent Continues in Later Rounds

The Korean U-18 team’s presence extended well beyond the first round, with nine more players chosen from rounds two through seven.

In the second round:

• Kiwoom Heroes picked infielder Jiseok Kim, the U-18 team’s everyday first baseman.

• LG Twins selected left-handed pitcher Junsung Park, who earned two wins out of the bullpen.

• NC Dinos drafted catcher Huiseong Lee, who started six games as backstop and once as designated hitter.

• Kiwoom Heroes added right-handed pitcher Jisung Park, who posted zero runs allowed in five relief appearances.

The third round featured:

• Hanwha Eagles selecting left-handed pitcher Yohan Choi, who started one game and appeared twice from the bullpen.

• KT Wiz drafting infielder Geonhwi Kim, who split time between first and third base.

Notably, the NC Dinos secured right-handed pitcher Joel Kim, the Korean U-18 staff ace, who dominated with three starts and a bullpen appearance without allowing a run in 13.2 innings while striking out 19 batters.

The Dinos further strengthened their squad with outfielder Jiwon An (sixth round), the U-18 team’s everyday right fielder, and utility infielder Yun Heo (seventh round).

This draft underscores the strength and depth of Korea’s U-18 baseball talent pipeline, with KBO teams eagerly investing in players who have already proven themselves on the international stage.