National baseball team cleanup hitter Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers) is approaching every single game of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with utmost sincerity.

Even when there is a significant gap in skill level compared to opposing teams, he gives his absolute best in every inning and at-bat, feeling the weight of the Taegeuk mark.

That was also the case today during the third Group B preliminary match against Thailand, held at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Baseball Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

South Korea took a 10-0 lead by the 3rd inning and continued to batter Thailand's pitching staff in the top of the 4th.

With the outcome essentially decided, national team manager Ryu Ji-hyun substituted numerous players to manage the stamina of key athletes ahead of the Super Round.

However, Kim Do-young insisted on staying in the game until the end, stepping up to the plate in the top of the 4th inning to hit an RBI single up the middle.

Speaking with reporters in the mixed zone after the match, Kim said, "I was hitting (slower) pitches that I hadn't faced before, resulting in fly-outs and ground-outs, and the outcomes weren't good. I felt like I was getting a bit caught up in it."

He explained, "I felt that I needed to finish on a good note to carry this positive feel into the Super Round. The manager offered to take me out, but I told him I wanted to stay in."

He added, "Since we have to win every single game in the Super Round, I will approach it with even greater focus. I will do my absolute best to live up to expectations."

In the bottom of the 1st inning with no outs and runners on first and second, Kim hit a grounder to the pitcher and sprinted at full speed, taking a tumble as he crossed first base.

"I had a slight collision with the first baseman," he said, adding, "There is no major issue."

Prior to joining the national team, Kim had startled baseball fans by suffering a nasal bone fracture.

However, smiling as if it were no big deal, he said, "There are no issues at all now."

(Photo: Yonhap News)