With the score tied 1-1 in the eighth inning of the final in Toyohashi, Kim Do-yeong hit an infield single that put South Korea ahead. Moon Bo-gyeong followed with another RBI single to make it 3-1, and South Korea’s bullpen protected the lead through the final two innings. South Korea won gold by defeating host nation Japan.
The decisive hit did not erase Kim’s frustration with his overall tournament. Across six games, he went 6-for-24, hit .250 and recorded no home runs. That fell short of his expectations: he leads the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) with 40 home runs this year and was the KBO’s 2024 MVP.
After the game at Toyohashi Municipal Baseball Stadium, Kim apologised to his manager, teammates and fans, saying he had not rewarded their faith. He said he felt he needed to return to square one and did not know whether he would get another chance at an international tournament. Kim also described the pressure he felt before his eighth-inning at-bat: although the hit produced a key RBI, he remained unhappy with his overall performance. He expects the disappointment to stay with him for a long time, but said it could also help him grow.
Moon Bo-gyeong said he had been looking for a breaking ball and reacted quickly when he got one to hit. He said he wanted the extra RBI and that the team’s focus was especially sharp because the players did not want to lose the final.
South Korea had lost 5-0 to Japan in the Super Round two days earlier. Moon, 26, said he had worried that younger teammates might struggle with the pressure after that defeat. Instead, he said, they were ready to compete again before he had even spoken to them. Moon previously won Asian Games gold in 2023 after an early loss to Chinese Taipei.