Kim Hyun-ah, Kim Ra-kyung, Park Joo-ah, WPBL Large Designation... First 'female professional player' confirmed

By Minjeong, Cho

Nov 24, 2025

Kim Hyun-ah, Kim Ra-kyung, Park Joo-ah, WPBL Large Designation... First 'female professional player' confirmed



South Korea's women's baseball has achieved its first-ever milestone. Kim Hyun-ah, Kim Ra-kyung, and Park Joo-ah, who challenged the tryout of the U.S. Professional Women's Baseball League 'WPBL(Women's Pro Baseball League)', were all named in the top round of the draft. The birth of the first 'Women's Professional Baseball Player' in Korea has been confirmed as three Korean players will advance to the U.S. Women's Professional Baseball League stage at the same time next year, which will be revived for the first time in about 70 years.

The three players, who played a tryout directly in the U.S. in August, performed better than expected and shook the scene. National catcher Kim Hyun-ah (25) was nominated by Boston as the fourth overall pick in the first round. This is ahead of the key players of the U.S. national team, and Kim Hyun-ah is looking at the screen and shaking her hands"He responded in disbelief. Analysts say that Kim Hyun-ah was selected as Boston's first choice because of her international experience and leadership.

Kim Ra-kyung (25), the ace of South Korean women's baseball, was then called to New York as the 11th overall in the first round. Kim Ra-kyung jumped up from her seat to express her gratitude and expressed her ambition, saying, `The goal is to be the first starter unconditionally.' WPBL also has high expectations for Kim Ra-kyung, who has written numerous 'first' records as a pitcher.




Shortstop Park Joo-ah (20) was selected by San Francisco in the 33rd place in the second round. Park Joo-ah said, `I'm looking forward to playing against the best players in the world"He didn't hide his excitement. Solid basic skills and smooth defense are considered strengths.

WPBL will open in August. Attention is focusing on how the three players will perform on the U.S. stage.

Meanwhile, SBS is planning to release a documentary showing the challenges of the three players in early January next year. It includes everything from the tryout preparation process to the field and the moment of draft selection.








mj.cho@sportschosun.com