SSG Landers fire Korean Series-winning manager after playoff exit

Kim Won-hyong

The SSG Landers on Tuesday fired manager Kim Won-hyong less than a year after he led the Incheon team to the Korean Series title and subsequently became the highest paid coach in the KBO.

SSG announced the decision to terminate Kim’s contract two years early on Tuesday, saying that the move was part of a broader change in the club’s overall operation ahead of a generational shift.

NC Dinos sweep SSG Landers to advance in KBO playoffs

Kim, a former SK Wyverns player and Doosan Bears pitching coach, was appointed as manager at the end of the 2020 season, three months before Shinsegae Group bought the club and it was officially rebranded from the Wyverns to the SSG Landers.

The Wyverns had finished ninth in the 2020 season, rising to sixth as the Landers under Kim’s leadership in 2021 before winning both the pennant and championship in 2022. The Landers finished the 2023 season in third place, but slipped to fourth overall after getting swept by the NC Dinos in the first round of the playoffs last week.

Following the Korean Series win, the Landers extended Kim’s contract, which had been set to expire, for three more years at 2.2 billion won ($1.6 million), making him the highest paid active coach in the KBO last season.

Although the Landers refrained from mentioning the team’s performance this year in their statement, Kim told Yonhap News Agency that he believes that is the sole reason he was let go.

“I hope people don't rush to any conclusions on the circumstances behind this move,” Kim was quoted as saying by Yonhap. “I believe the team made this call because we didn't play well this year.

“Ultimately, I wasn't good enough."

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]