Doosan Bears starter Gwak Been is named the recipient of South Korea’s top pitching honor, the 2026 Choi Dong-won Award, the Korea Times and Yonhap report. The award recognizes the best pitcher in the KBO and is decided by a selection committee named after the late former pitcher Choi Dong-won. Committee members choose the winner based on the season’s pitching performance.
Gwak is described as a leading ERA and strikeout performer. In KBO play, he posts a 2.24 ERA and leads the league with 197 strikeouts, while going 11-7 across 27 starts over 161 innings. Yonhap also notes that Gwak was selected with first-place votes from six of seven committee members. The sources further link his form to international play, saying he pitches for South Korea at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, helping the team win gold and delivering strong outings in the tournament, including in the medal game.
Both outlets include the award’s stated eligibility criteria for consideration, including minimum starts and innings pitched and thresholds for ERA and strikeouts for starters and additional conditions for relievers.
