Hanwha Eagles (한화 이글스) manager Kim Kyung-moon and general manager Son Hyuk will leave the club at the end of the 2026 season. Kim’s contract expires with the end of this season, and Hanwha is moving to appoint a new manager. Son will also conclude his tenure with the club when his contract expires.

Background and context

Hanwha appointed Kim after parting ways with former manager Choi Won-ho in June 2024. The contract was for three years, with a total value of 2 billion won. Kim steadied the team in his first year, and in 2025 Hanwha finished second in the regular season and reached the Korean Series.

But the team’s results changed sharply in 2026. Through October 9, Hanwha was ninth with 57 wins, 82 losses and 4 ties in 143 games, for a .410 winning percentage. Separately from the club’s announcement that his contract was expiring, Kim announced himself that he would step down ahead of the season finale against the NC Dinos (NC 다이노스) at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark (대전한화생명볼파크) on October 10. At 7 p.m. that evening, Hanwha was trailing 3–9 in the bottom of the sixth inning; this refers to the situation during the game.

Kim began his managerial career with the Doosan Bears (두산 베어스) in 2004. He was appointed the first manager of the NC Dinos in 2011 and led the team through 2018. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he led the South Korean baseball team to a gold medal with a 9–0 record. In the Korean Series, he finished as runner-up five times: three times with Doosan, once with NC, and once with Hanwha last year. Through October 9, his career regular-season record as a manager stood at 1,078 wins, 39 ties and 957 losses in 2,074 games. He also became the third manager in professional baseball history to reach 1,000 career wins.

Son joined Hanwha as a strength-enhancement coordinator in December 2021 and was appointed general manager in October 2022. This change, therefore, is not limited to replacing the manager.

What this news means

Hanwha’s immediate task is to appoint a new manager. However, only the fact that the club is moving ahead with the appointment has been confirmed; no candidates, appointment timeline or specific responsibilities for the new manager have been announced. Son’s contract expiration has also been confirmed, but no successor or plans for the club’s operations have been presented. With both positions becoming vacant, attention may turn not only to the new manager’s approach to baseball but also to how the manager and front office will work together.

For fans, the difference in results over the past two seasons offers a basis for understanding the context of this personnel change. Reaching the Korean Series in 2025 was an achievement under Kim’s leadership, but Hanwha finished ninth in 2026. That fact alone does not make it possible to attribute the decline in results to one person. Still, what Hanwha prioritizes in the next regime and how it plans to rebuild the team are points to watch during the appointment process for the next manager and general manager.

For example, Hanwha fans can look beyond simply finding out the new manager’s name and also watch how the club explains its approach to managing the team’s roster alongside the appointment. This is something that can be confirmed only once the club announces its plans; the only confirmed information at present is that it is moving to appoint a new manager.

What is confirmed and what is not yet known

Confirmed facts

  • Kim Kyung-moon’s contract expires at the end of the 2026 season, and he announced himself that he would step down before the season finale.
  • General manager Son Hyuk will also conclude his tenure with Hanwha when his contract expires.
  • Hanwha is moving to appoint a new manager.
  • Hanwha finished second in the 2025 regular season and reached the Korean Series, but was ninth through October 9, 2026.
  • Kim recorded 1,078 career wins as a manager and finished as runner-up in the Korean Series five times.

What is not yet known

  • Who will Hanwha appoint as its new manager?
  • Who will succeed Son as general manager?
  • What are Kim and Son’s plans for the future?
  • What direction will the new leadership take in managing the team and reshaping its roster for next season?

What readers should watch

  • When Hanwha officially announces its new manager, readers should note the club’s explanation of its operational direction as well as the timing of the appointment.
  • Watching for an announcement of Son’s successor and the club’s roster-management plans can help show how the managerial change is connected to the front-office changes.
  • When checking the final 2026 standings, distinguish the ninth-place finish and 57–82–4 record given in this article, which cover play through October 9, from the 3–9 score in the season finale, which was the situation as of 7 p.m.

References