E2024-G008

Gwangju Jeil High School: A Baseball Powerhouse Continuing the Legend

Narrative

Gwangju Jeil High School is widely recognized as a prestigious powerhouse in Korean high school baseball. Its baseball team has long stood out on the national stage, producing numerous professional players and Major Leaguers.

Sun Dong-yol (1963- ), a dominant figure in Korean baseball during the 1980s and 1990s, played for the school’s team before joining the Haitai Tigers, where he led the team through its golden era. Succeeding him, Lee Jong-beom (1970- ) began playing baseball at Gwangju Seoseok Elementary School and later continued at Gwangju Jeil High School. He also played for the Haitai Tigers, earning the nickname “Son of the Wind” for his speed and aggressive style of play. The team was later renamed the Kia Tigers, where Lee continued to play professionally. In the late 1990s, another standout player from Gwangju emerged: Kim Byung-hyun (1979- ). He played baseball at Gwangju Soochang Elementary School and Gwangju Jeil High School, and later joined Major League Baseball in the United States. He became the first Korean pitcher to be part of a World Series-winning team. After returning to Korea, he played for the Kia Tigers.

Gwangju Jeil High School has maintained strong connections with local elementary school baseball teams, serving as a cornerstone in the development and continuity of Gwangju’s baseball tradition.

Story Map

• Gwangju Baseball: Carrying the Legacy
  • Gwangju Jeil High School: A Baseball Powerhouse Continuing the Legend
  • The Roar of the South: The Story of the Kia Tigers