Area Sports Roundup – October 2026

Baseball – Soccer – Volleyball

By Zhang Jiuzhou (Julius) ||

Kim Do-yeong Powers Kia’s August Surge

The Kia Tigers emerged as the KBO’s hottest team in August, combining  improved pitching with one of the league’s most productive offenses to climb from fifth to third place. Kia went 11–4 in 15 games during the month for a league-best .733 winning percentage. The Tigers ranked third with a 3.94 team ERA, while their .292 batting average and .840 OPS both placed second in the league.

At the center of the surge was Kim Do-yeong. The Kia star batted .321 in August, tied for the monthly lead with six home runs and led the league with 16 runs and a .714 slugging percentage. On August 23, Kim hit his 38th homer to match his career high from his MVP-winning 2024 season, then surpassed it three days later with number 39.

The power surge represents another step in Kim’s evolution following an injury-plagued 2025 season. Recurring hamstring problems limited him to just 30 games and forced Kia to carefully manage his baserunning. The setback also prompted Kim to reduce some of the physical demands on his legs and devote greater attention to his work at the plate.

The adjustment has paid off. Once known primarily for the breadth of his five-tool game, Kim has developed into an even more dangerous power hitter without abandoning the versatility that made him one of the league’s brightest stars.

There could still be another chapter to that development. Kia has explored the possibility of eventually moving Kim from third base to shortstop, and manager Lee Bum-ho has publicly discussed the idea. Kim has also expressed interest in taking on the challenge.

A shortstop capable of producing around 40 home runs would give Kia an unusually valuable combination of power and defensive versatility. For now, however, Kim has a more immediate target. He is chasing the first home run title of his career. With the Tigers pushing toward the top of the standings, Kim’s remarkable season has become central to both Kia’s postseason ambitions and his own pursuit of a historic individual finish.

Gwangju FC Handed a Relegation Lifeline

Gwangju FC could become an unlikely beneficiary of K League expansion, 12 years after suffering relegation during an earlier restructuring of the competition. After 26 rounds of the 2026 K League 1 season, Gwangju sits at the bottom with the longest winless run in K League 1 history. Climbing out of last place will be difficult. Under previous rules, finishing bottom would have meant automatic relegation. This season, however, Gwangju may receive another chance.

Gimcheon Sangmu will drop to K League 2 at the end of the season regardless of their final position following the expiration of their home-city agreement. Meanwhile, K League 1 will expand from 12 to 14 clubs next season, bringing changes to the promotion and relegation system. If Gimcheon Sangmu finishes above last place, the bottom-ranked K League 1 club will avoid direct relegation and instead enter a promotion-relegation playoff against a K League 2 side. If the current standings remain unchanged, Gwangju would therefore have one final opportunity to preserve their top-flight status.

The situation carries historical irony. In 2012, Gwangju finished 15th in the then 16-team K League and were relegated as the league reduced the number of top-flight clubs ahead of the full introduction of promotion and relegation. They eventually returned to the first division in 2015 after winning through the playoffs.

This time, restructuring could work in their favor, although survival remains far from guaranteed. Gwangju must first end their prolonged winless run and improve their form before any potential playoff. Manager Lee Jeong-kyu is already preparing for that possibility. He recently revealed that Gwangju’s coaching and analysis staff have begun monitoring K League 2 teams and studying potential opponents.

Twelve years after league restructuring contributed to their first relegation, Gwangju now finds itself on the opposite side of history. Whether they can turn that lifeline into survival will depend on what they do with the opportunity.

Soop Supers Build for a New Beginning

The Soop Supers are preparing for their first V-League season with a new identity, a reshaped roster, and ambitions to establish themselves as a competitive force in Korean women’s volleyball. The club confirmed Gwangju as its home city after Soop acquired the former AI Peppers franchise. Along with unveiling a new emblem, the Soop Supers have begun building closer ties with the local community while preparing Yeomju Gymnasium for the 2026–27 season.

Head coach Kim Se-jin, who previously guided expansion club OK Savings Bank to consecutive men’s V-League championships, has set an ambitious target. While acknowledging that the Soop Supers may begin the season with one of the league’s less proven rosters, Kim wants his team to play organized, aggressive “system volleyball” built around blocking, defense, and coordinated movement. “We have to dream big. Our goal is to win the championship,” Kim said. “I want us to establish our own style of volleyball and build the team with confidence.”

Captain Ko Ye-rim will play an important role in that process. After an injury-hit season and months of uncertainty surrounding the former AI Peppers franchise, she enters the new campaign healthy and with greater leadership responsibility. With several established players departing, Ko is now one of the squad’s senior figures.

The club has also added experienced outside hitter Jeon Sae-yan, who is looking to revive her career after seeing limited playing time over the past two seasons. Jeon believes the move offers a fresh opportunity to compete for a larger role while providing leadership to a younger roster.

The Soop Supers’ international signings could prove equally important. American-Peruvian opposite Audriana Fitzmorris brings size, versatility, and experience from leagues across Europe and the Americas. At 198 centimeters, she can play opposite, middle blocker, or outside hitter and is expected to shoulder a significant attacking load.

Chinese middle blocker Xue Yizhi, the club’s first Asian-quota player, adds another imposing presence at the net. The 193-centimeter veteran has competed in both China and the United States and hopes her international experience will ease her transition to the V-League.

With a new name, new coaching staff, and extensively rebuilt roster, the Soop Supers enter their debut campaign with plenty still to prove. Yet the message from players and coaches is consistent: Establish strong foundations, develop a clear identity, and give Gwangju supporters a team capable of growing together.

Cover Photo: Gwangju FC players gather to discuss tactics during a recent match. (Gwangju FC)