Yomiuri Giants hitting coach Lee Seung-yeop (李承燁) described Japanese baseball as a partner rather than an opponent and stressed the need for Korea-Japan exchange. He said that baseball in both countries should learn from each other and move toward further development.
Lee Seung-yeop (李承燁), a former Korean power hitter who served as the Yomiuri Giants' hitting coach this season, defined the relationship between Korean and Japanese baseball as that of mutually complementary partners rather than rivals. He expressed the view that baseball in both countries should move beyond emotional conflict, incorporate each other's strengths and grow together.
Lee, who excelled as the Giants' cleanup hitter during his playing career, discussed the differences between Korean baseball and what he experienced at the forefront of Japanese baseball, and pointed to the need for exchange. He explained that structural differences between the two countries were behind his appointment as a Giants coach after resigning as manager of the Doosan Bears.
Because he had no coaching experience in Japan, Lee described himself as a rookie and said he worked to create an environment in which players could play comfortably, without making the atmosphere in the coaches' room or on the field too tense. He also said he felt the pressure of opening the way for younger players who may come to Japan in the future.
As differences in the field, he cited Japanese baseball's high level of concentration on every pitch and its strict systems, while also pointing out that Korean baseball's culture of building excitement together with the fans was something Japan should learn from. He also referred to the thorough preparations for away games in Japan, comparing the approaches to baseball in the two countries.