Tears of a 24-Year Veteran: 41-Year-Old Pitcher Woo Kyu-min Becomes Oldest to Debut in the Korean Series

Summary In South Korean professional baseball, few moments resonate as deeply as an emotional breakthrough by a beloved veteran. When the KT Wiz clinched the regular season title, all eyes turned to 41-year-old pitcher Woo Kyu-min, whose tearful celebration quickly went viral across Korean sports communities. After enduring a 24-year professional career without a single championship or appearance in the Korean Series (KS), Woo finally achieved the milestone, setting a record as the oldest player in league history to make his Korean Series debut. Woo's journey through Korean baseball is a masterclass in perseverance. Debuting in 2003 with the LG Twins, he spent years bearing the brunt of the club's prolonged struggles during what fans commonly refer to as a "dark age" (암흑기). Later, while pitching for the Samsung Lions in 2021, he came heartbreakingly close to the title, only to fall to KT Wiz in the league's first-ever tiebreaker game for first place. Year after year, championship glory remained just out of reach, making his tearful reaction upon clinching the pennant with KT all the more poignant. Woo openly admitted that emotions overwhelmed him as memories of his entire 24-year career flashed before his eyes in an instant. At age 41, Woo surpasses the previous age record set in 2022 by former Major League standout Choo Shin-soo (who debuted in the Korean Series at age 40). The milestone also brought warm humor to the clubhouse, with Woo joking that junior teammates had promised for 23 years that they would win "Kyumin-hyung a championship ring," only for him to feel playfully deceived until now. Following the traditional champagne shower celebrations, Woo made it clear that his ambitions go beyond just reaching the final stage, declaring his desire to maintain peak physical condition and help KT secure not just this championship, but a dynasty of two or three consecutive titles.