As Ryu Ji-hyun (55), manager of the South Korean national baseball team, emerges as a candidate for the next manager of the pro baseball club Hanwha Eagles, baseball fans are paying keen attention. With the club's parting with manager Kim Kyung-moon now official, it has been suggested that Ryu, who achieved results with the national team, could take the helm at Hanwha.

■ Terms of up to 3 years and 2 billion won total... Official announcement expected after the regular season ends

On the 10th, sports media outlet The Gate reported that Hanwha has selected manager Ryu Ji-hyun as its next manager and will make an official announcement after the end of the regular season. The contract terms are reportedly up to 3 years with a total value of 2 billion won.

However, Hanwha has not yet made an official appointment announcement. At this point, it is more accurate to view the situation as a media-reported possibility of Ryu becoming the next manager, rather than a confirmed move to Hanwha.

■ End of the Kim Kyung-moon era... Sharp decline in performance after Korean Series runner-up finish

On the 10th, during the final game of the season against the NC Dinos, Hanwha announced that manager Kim Kyung-moon and general manager Son Hyuk would leave the team upon the expiration of their contracts.

Manager Kim Kyung-moon took charge of Hanwha in June 2024 and helped raise the team's competitiveness. In particular, during the 2025 season, he led Hanwha to second place in the regular season, achieving a Korean Series appearance — their first in 19 years — and a runner-up finish.

However, in the 2026 season, the team failed to deliver the expected results as injuries to key players and gaps in the roster overlapped. Hanwha finished the regular season in 9th place, prompting the club to prepare a new leadership structure.

■ WBC quarterfinals and Asian Games gold... Who is manager Ryu Ji-hyun?

Ryu Ji-hyun, whose name has been raised as a candidate for the next manager, has built his coaching career in pro baseball and with the national team. He served as manager of the LG Twins from 2021 to 2022, and later expanded his role as a coach for the national team.

His achievements in international competitions this year have drawn particular attention. The South Korean national baseball team led by Ryu advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March for the first time in 17 years since 2009, securing a tournament berth after fierce competition in the group stage and reconfirming Korean baseball's competitiveness on the international stage. He also led the national team to a gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held in September, where South Korean baseball achieved its fifth consecutive Asian Games title.

Ryu has had a deep connection with LG since his playing days. He joined LG in 1994, won Rookie of the Year, and played for the same team until 2004. After retiring, he served as a coach in various areas including defense, base running, and strategy, gained experience as head coach, and later took over as LG's manager, leading the team for two seasons.

As a leader, he is regarded as someone who values careful game management and thorough preparation. He is also known to have consistently focused on player management and the use of data.

■ First managerial post at a club other than LG... Return to pro baseball after 4 years

If Hanwha ultimately appoints Ryu as manager, it would be his first time managing a KBO League club other than LG. It would also mark his return to pro baseball management for the first time in 4 years, after stepping down as LG's manager at the end of the 2022 season.

In recent years, Hanwha has strengthened its roster by developing young players while also signing outside free agents (FA). The team confirmed its progress with last year's Korean Series runner-up finish, but fell to the lower ranks this year, creating a need for a new leap forward. Amid this, as the possibility of Ryu Ji-hyun joining Hanwha has been raised, baseball fans are closely watching the club's selection of its next manager.

However, whether a contract is actually signed, along with its duration and scale, must be confirmed through the club's official announcement.

[This article was written based on club announcements and reports regarding the next managerial appointment made public as of October 10, 2026. Whether manager Ryu Ji-hyun will be appointed as manager of the Hanwha Eagles, and the contract terms, cannot be considered confirmed facts until the club's official announcement. This article was written with the assistance of AI.]