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World Baseball Classic team Ko Woo-suk and Kang Baek-ho have a special significance for this tournament in Tokyo. I am determined to wash away the nightmare of sluggishness and criticism I experienced at the Tokyo Olympics two years ago.

I am a reporter from the United States.

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Ko Woo-suk is currently the fastest pitcher on the national team.

In his first game against NC, he hit a top speed of 2 km/h and pitched the first inning cleanly.

Major league scouts are also closely watching Ko Woo-suk, the KBO League's top fastball pitcher.

[Ko Woo-suk/WBC National Team pitcher: Apparently, since this is the United States, I don't really know if it's a tourist or a scout, so I didn't really care, I threw it regardless.]

For Ko Woo-suk, who provided the pretext for his defeat two years ago at the Tokyo Olympics against Korea and Japan due to a basecover error, this WBC is a stage of excitement.

[Ko Woo-suk/WBC National Team pitcher: (In Tokyo) I thought I wasn't good enough, and I want to show a different side and fight with confidence.]

For Baekho Kang, Tokyo remains a more painful memory.

This is because during the bronze medal game, he was caught chewing gum in a dark losing situation and was reprimanded on the telecast.

[Baekho Kang/WBC infielder: I have to apologize for the bad performance, and I have to take more responsibility for not showing that.]

Baekho Kang, who is desperate, is showing off his batting ability, including his first home run of the team's evaluation game.

Ko Woo-seok and Kang Baek-ho are determined to wash away their pain in Tokyo with a more mature attitude in this WBC.

(Video Interview: Gong Jin-koo, Video Editor: Woo Ki-jung, VJ: Kim Han-gyeol)