On August 23rd, Kyoto International High School, a Korean ethnic school in Japan, shocked the nation by winning the Japan National High School Baseball Championship (Koshien). Despite the school having a small field only 60 meters wide and just 137 students, it overcame various difficult circumstances to claim the championship, broadcasting its school anthem, which starts with "the East Sea," nationwide via NHK. Out of the 3,441 schools that participated in this year’s Japan National Baseball Championship, Kyoto International High School achieved an astonishing victory, thanks largely to the dedicated efforts of former principal Park Kyung-Su. He served as the education consul at the Consulate General of Korea in Osaka before becoming the principal of Kyoto International High School in 2017, where he worked for over seven years. The Monday Times met with the principal, who retired last year and now resides in Sejong City, to discuss the miracle behind their victory. - Ed.

Q. Winning the Japan High School Baseball Championship (Koshien) must feel special. How do you feel?

A: I am overwhelmed with emotion. I vividly remember the moments of watching the students grow from morning till evening every day and cheering them on throughout the year at various games. The faces of the players who performed brilliantly at the spring Koshien tournament on March 18th are still fresh in my mind, making this victory feel even more special. It was truly a unique and unforgettable experience.

Q. What is the significance of winning the Koshien Championship?

A: The Kyoto International High School baseball team is a combined team of Korean and Japanese students. It can be called an international team. Our school is recognized by the Korean government as a Korean school and accredited by the Japanese government as a Japanese school. The students of both nationalities worked together, united solely by their passion for baseball, making this victory even more meaningful. While Korea and Japan are often seen as geographically close but culturally distant, within our school, there was no such divide. The students trained, studied, and lived together, achieving this success as the one team.

   We are a small school compared to others. The high school has a maximum capacity of 40 students per grade, and with three grades, we have a total of 120 students. Currently, with a slightly higher intake, we have about 140 students in total. Despite our small size, we won a national tournament. Even I feel it is a remarkable achievement.

Q. How was Kyoto International High School founded, and what is the status of Korean schools in Japan?

A: Korean schools in Japan are commonly referred to as "schools affiliated to the Korean Residents Union in Japan, commonly known as Mindan," with notable examples being the Tokyo Korean School, Osaka's Konkuk School, and Geumgang School. Kyoto International High School is a Korean school located in Kyoto Prefecture and was established on May 13th, 1947, as "Joseon Middle School." The registered name at that time was "Kyoto Korean School," and it operated as Kyoto Korean Middle and High School until 2003. On April 1st, 2004, it was renamed Kyoto International School, and it continues under that name, though its history as an international school is relatively short.

Q. While managing the baseball team, you likely faced various challenges, including financial difficulties. How did you overcome them?

A: There is a difference in how sports activities are managed in Korean and Japanese schools. At our school, the baseball team heavily relies on financial support from the students' parents. From the hats and shoes the students wear to the bats they use, everything is purchased individually. As a result, a support committee was formed to fund the team, but because our school is small and not well-known, funding was always scarce. However, as the baseball team started achieving good results, the Korean community began to take notice, which gave us significant support.

   In 2021, our Mindan took the lead in fundraising efforts, and even the Korean government, private foundations, and individuals offered their support upon hearing the news. The Korean community in Japan, including business owners and people from various fields outside of education, also contributed. Alumni also sent donations, wanting to help. These contributions have sustained the baseball team. Notably, this spring, after its training camp, the Kia professional baseball team provided us with 1,000 baseballs. I believe that even such small acts of support didn’t go unnoticed but instead became the foundation for bringing smiles to our students' faces.

Q. You must have many memorable moments with the baseball team. Is there one that stands out the most?

A: Yes, many of the players on our baseball team are students who came from Korea. I particularly remember players like Shin Sung-hyun, Hwang Chi-seung, and Jung Kyu-sang, who graduated from Deokseo Middle School in Korea and joined our school. Among them, Shin Sung-hyun was the first player from our school to go on to play professionally with the OB Bears in Korean professional baseball. After being drafted by the Hiroshima Cubs in Japan, he moved to Korea to continue his career.

   During my five years as principal, our students advanced to professional teams every year. Students from all over Japan, dreaming of playing baseball, wanted to train under our coach Noritsugu Gomaka and came to our school. For example, this year's captain, Fujimoto, came from Fukuoka, and Takagishi, who played as the first baseman, came from Hokkaido. Takagishi’s father was also a player who competed in the Koshien tournament, so it was especially touching to see his son continue the legacy with his impressive performance in this year's tournament.

Q. Ohtani Shohei is very popular in Korea as well. Do Kyoto International High School students also look up to him as a role model and dream of joining Major League Baseball?

A: Yes, that's correct. Every baseball player dreams of playing in the Major Leagues. Our school also has connections to the U.S. When we participated in Koshien, the U.S. Consuls in Osaka and Kobe visited us, encouraging the players and giving them gifts. This gave the players a huge boost in morale.

   Many students dream of not only joining professional teams in Japan but also playing in the U.S., the birthplace of baseball. I am confident that it won’t be long before a player from our school makes it to the Major Leagues.

Q. In Korea, there is growing interest among young people in studying at Kyoto International High School to learn baseball. What are your thoughts on this?

A: When we first established the baseball team in 1999, we had to recruit players from Korea. However, now there is so much interest that we have around 300 students wanting to enroll in our school. Unfortunately, some students have dropped out along the way, and since our school’s field is not very large, we are limited in how many students we can accommodate. Currently, we are able to fill our team with players from within Japan, so we haven’t been recruiting from Korea.

   However, if there are students in Korea who want to learn baseball, our doors are always open. If they pursue their dreams without giving up, they could grow into outstanding players, like Shin Sung-hyun and Jung Kyu-sang, and make a name for themselves in both Japan and Korea. I hope they seize the opportunity to develop new skills through studying in Japan.

Q. Please give some final words for our readers.

A: Our school has now grown into one that attracts students aspiring to play professionally, thanks to the team-centered coaching style of our coach. I feel the greatest satisfaction when I see students advancing to professional teams or being scouted by universities with scholarships. While winning and participating in the Koshien tournament are important, I sincerely hope our school will continue to be a stage where they can secure their futures, bring honor to their families and school, and realize their dreams.