Ryu Joong Il-ho, Premier 12's first tempering... "Going to the semifinals with youth and spirit."

[Anchor]
Ahead of the Premier 12 next month, the national baseball team has started its first training without KIA and Samsung players playing the Korean Series.

The goal is to reach the semifinals at Tokyo Dome in Japan.

This is reporter Cho Eun-ji.

[Reporter]
Wearing a white Korea uniform, the national baseball team Ryu Joong-il gathered at Gocheok Dome.

It is the first day of the Premier 12 tempering competition between 12 countries with high baseball world rankings.

Kim Hye-sung and Kang Baek-ho are already not the best because they are missing from military training, but LG left-hander Son Joo-young, who was injured in "Autumn Baseball," eventually failed to make the national flag, and Samsung captain Koo Ja-wook is uncertain to join.

With only 11 national teams from KIA and Samsung in the midst of the Korean Series, coach Ryu Joong-il just hopes to join the team safely without injury.

[Ryu Joong-il / National baseball team manager: (I think you want the Korean Series to end soon?) Oh, I don't think that's a polite answer./// I hope you come well without any injuries.]

Korea, the first Premier 12 champion, will face Cuba and Japan, Dominica and Australia, starting with Taiwan.

If you finish in the top two, you will advance to the Super Round and compete for the championship at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.

[Ryu Joong-il / Baseball team manager: All five teams are strong. From what I can see, all of them are strong after analyzing their power. Do your best in every game, and the goal is to make it to the semifinals so that you can go to Japan and play league games....]

Captain Song Sung-moon, who is new to the Taegeuk mark, and the youngest Kim Taek-yeon emphasized that they would perform well, mentioning "youth and spirit" as if they had promised.

[Song Sung-moon / Baseball team infielder (raised), captain: I think it will be easier to match team chemistry and teamwork because I am young. More courageous....//// I have to go to Tokyo.]

[Kim Taek-yeon / Baseball team pitcher (Doosan): I want to throw my ball with guts without getting scared. //// [It's my first time as a national team member, and I'm 20 years old, and I'm going to do it thinking I have nothing to lose]

The national team, which has sweated over playing the opponent's ace video on the electronic display since the first day of the convocation, plans to confirm the final 28 players through an exhibition match with Sangmu on the 6th of next month.

Ryu Joong-il will boost his sense of action through two warm-up matches with Cuba next week, and leave for Taiwan on the 8th of next month.

I'm Jo Eun Ji of YTN.