The Dominican Republic national team, set to compete against South Korea for a semifinal berth in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), carries a total payroll 6.9 times larger than Korea's squad.
According to the KBO office and baseball statistics site Baseball Reference on the 13th, the combined salaries of Korea's 30-player final roster amount to approximately 61.65 billion won ($44 million).
The six players competing in Major League Baseball account for 80% of the Korean squad's total payroll at 49.34 billion won ($35 million).
Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants leads with the highest salary at $22.83 million (33.8 billion won), representing more than half of the entire team's combined earnings.
Among KBO League players, Ko Young-pyo of kt wiz earns the most at 2.6 billion won, followed by Ryu Hyun-jin at 2.1 billion won and Noh Si-hwan at 1 billion won, both of the Hanwha Eagles.
In contrast, the Dominican Republic's MLB All-Star caliber squad commands a total payroll of $287.17 million (424.9 billion won) across 28 players, according to Baseball Reference.
Juan Soto, who signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets in 2024, tops the list at $51.875 million (76.6 billion won).
Soto's salary alone exceeds Korea's entire team payroll. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays and Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres follow at $40.214 million (59.4 billion won) and $25.09 million (37 billion won), respectively.
While the payroll comparison suggests a David versus Goliath matchup, baseball's unpredictable nature means the underdog can triumph in single-elimination games. Having advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years against the odds, Korea's squad aims to overcome the salary gap through fighting spirit.
In the inaugural 2006 tournament, Korea upset the United States 7-3 in the second round, defeating an American team composed entirely of highly paid MLB All-Stars.