Samsung Lions catcher Kang Min-ho has won his first Korean Series title, ending a wait of 23 seasons and 2,607 games, Chosun Ilbo reports. The championship was sealed in Game 5 of the series, according to the outlet. The headline framed the achievement against Lee Dae-ho, another long-serving KBO star who retired without a title.
Chosun Ilbo described Kang as having given everything he had to finally clear a career-long drought. Coverage of the same series noted that he played through a side injury to help deliver the championship, according to Sports Kyunghyang. Yonhap reported that Kang had waited 22 years for the title, and that teammate Koo Ja-uk also earned his first ring as tears flowed in Daegu. Newsis credited the Lions' title to the commitment shown by Kang and Koo.
The result closes one of the longest waits in Korean professional baseball for a player of Kang's standing. The series outcome and the scenes in Daegu drew wide coverage across Korean sports outlets.
What to watch next: how Samsung frames its roster plans around Kang and Koo after the title, and whether the club confirms details of Kang's injury recovery.
