"The Second Ohtani Appearing in Korea"... Japanese 'Incheon Elementary Student' Draws Attention

182cm·100kg Elementary School Prospect Emerges
Dominates Tournament with Overwhelming Size and Power
Japanese Media Also Take Notice... "The Second Ohtani"

Park Seok-hyun (6th grade, Wanggil Elementary School), representing Seo-gu, Incheon, who participated in the final match of the 10th Park Chan-ho National Little Baseball Tournament held on the 28th of last month.
[Photo source: YouTube video capture]

A Japanese sports magazine has reported that a 'second Shohei Ohtani (LA Dodgers)' has appeared in Korea, sparking growing interest in the protagonist.

On the 3rd, the Japanese sports specialist 'Higashi Spo Web (Tokyo Sports)' published an article titled 'The second Shohei Ohtani appearing in Korea is a large elementary school player standing 182 cm tall and weighing 100 kg,' focusing on Park Seok-hyun (6th grade at Wanggil Elementary School), a member of the Incheon Seo-gu Little Baseball Team.

The media paid attention to the final match of the 10th Park Chan-ho National Little Baseball Tournament held on the 28th of last month at Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park. In the final match that day, Incheon Seo-gu faced Incheon Namdong-gu. After a fierce battle, Park's team, Incheon Seo-gu, defeated the opposing team 6 to 5 and claimed the championship.

The Japanese media reviewed the game and introduced Park as "Korea's 'second Shohei Ohtani'." They added, "Boasting a large physique of 182 cm and 100 kg, he is a genius representing the future of Korean baseball." They also explained, "He is the only player among both teams with such a large build, and his batting stance exudes a professional-level presence." Furthermore, "His power is extraordinary. He recorded a double and two stolen bases that day, and his running style has a force that seems to easily blow away the defense."

Park Seok-hyun (6th grade, Wanggil Elementary School), representing Seo-gu, Incheon, who participated in the final of the 10th Park Chan-ho National Little Baseball Tournament held on the 28th of last month. [Video source=YouTube video capture]

Despite being an elementary school student, Park attracted attention among domestic netizens for his physique comparable to that of professional players. On online communities where baseball fans gather, amusing reactions poured in such as "Looks like the coach," "Seems like his birth registration was delayed by about 10 years," "He sounds like an older brother. I'm 26 years old," "Isn't that Lee Dae-ho?" "An elementary school student really exists at 182 cm," "His physicality is at a foul play level," "His parents must both be basketball players to have such physicality," and "Hanwha should draft him today."

Meanwhile, Park's team, the Incheon Seo-gu Little Baseball Team, also won the championship at the 19th Yongsan District Mayor's National Little Baseball Tournament held on the 19th of last month. Park showed outstanding performance by hitting two home runs in just one inning during the semifinals of the tournament. After receiving the encouragement award at the time, Park said, "I am very happy to have won the tournament, and I want to do my best until the end of this year to spend a meaningful year with my teammates. I am also grateful to my parents."