The year he turned 22, he was picked by the Samsung Lions with the first pick of the second round in the rookie draft, as a right-handed pitcher from Dankook University, and he joined Samsung the next year.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 23, he started the season as a rookie setup man and went 10-1 with 16 saves and 11 holds. In the Korean Series, which Samsung won 4-0 over Doosan, he pitched three scoreless games and was named MVP. He also won Rookie of the Year.
In 2006, he went scoreless in four games for South Korea at the World Baseball Classic and was named one of MLB.com’s five stars of the tournament. That autumn he recorded 47 saves in a season, an Asian record. In 2007, he led the league in saves, part of three straight saves titles from 2006 to 2008. In 2008, he was on the team that won baseball gold at the Beijing Olympics. In 2009, South Korea lost the World Baseball Classic final to Japan and finished runner-up. In 2011, he tied his own single-season record with another 47 saves. In 2012, he led the league in saves with 37.
The year he turned 31, he signed a two-year contract with Japan’s Hanshin Tigers. In 2014, he led the Central League in saves. In 2015, he tied for the Central League lead with 41 saves.
The year he turned 34, he joined the St. Louis Cardinals in January. That month he was also fined 10 million won by a summary order on a charge of overseas gambling, and he apologized on returning to Korea. He recorded 19 saves in his first season.
The year he turned 37, he returned to Samsung after six years. In June 2020, he made his return appearance in the KBO League. In 2021, he won his sixth saves title with 44 saves and was also on the Tokyo Olympics team.
The year he turned 41, he reached 500 career saves across Korea, the U.S. and Japan, and in October he became the first pitcher in the KBO League to reach 400 saves. In 2024, he recorded 27 saves.
The year he turned 43, he announced his retirement, and at the retirement ceremony on Sept. 30 his number 21 was retired. In December he received the grand prize at the Ilgu Awards. In 2026, he was named to MBC’s lineup of World Baseball Classic commentators, and in July he opened a training center in Daegu.
Seung-hwan Oh (born Jul 15, 1982) was picked by the Samsung Lions on Jun 30, 2004, the year he turned 22, joined the next year, and became known in 2005, the year he turned 23, as Korean Series MVP and Rookie of the Year. On Jun 6, 2023, the year he turned 41, he reached 500 career saves across Korea, the U.S. and Japan.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
A right-handed pitcher from Dankook University, he was picked by Samsung with the first pick of the second round in the 2005 rookie draft.
Source 01 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · A university life without romance, a baseball dream · opens in a new tabSource 38 · Maniatimes (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan on his age · opens in a new tab His birthday (July 15) was confirmed through a Maniatimes article.Graduated from Dankook University and joined Samsung. On April 19, the Maeil Shinmun wrote that, as a rookie setup man alongside Ahn Ji-man, he was backing the team’s rise.
Source 06 · Maeil Shinmun (Korean) · Ahn Ji-man and Oh Seung-hwan, because of you · opens in a new tab The date of his first appearance could not be confirmed.In the Korean Series, which Samsung won 4-0 over Doosan, he was named MVP after 7 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts in three games. In the regular season he went 10-1 with 16 saves, 11 holds and a 1.18 ERA.
In the vote by reporters he received 85 of 88 valid votes. In the same vote, Son Min-han of Lotte won the regular-season MVP award, and Oh received 20 votes.
Source 05 · Munhwa Ilbo (Korean) · Lotte’s Son Min-han MVP, Samsung’s Oh Seung-hwan Rookie of the Year · opens in a new tabHis salary rose from 20 million won to 45 million won, an increase of 225%. Both the raise and the rate were among the highest ever for a second-year player re-signing.
Source 02 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan’s second-year raise sets a record · opens in a new tabHe allowed no hits or walks and struck out three. MLB.com named him, together with Lee Seung-yuop, one of the five stars of the tournament.
Source 07 · MyDaily (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan, the WBC’s best gift to Korea · opens in a new tabSource 08 · OSEN (Korean) · Lee Seung-yuop and Oh Seung-hwan among the WBC’s five stars, per MLB site · opens in a new tabClosed out a 5-0 win away at Hyundai for his 47th save, passing the single-season saves record that Chunichi’s Iwase had set the year before.
Source 09 · SBS (Korean) · Samsung’s Oh Seung-hwan, 47 saves, an Asian record · opens in a new tabAs saves leader he was among the MVP candidates. According to Edaily, he led the league in saves for three straight seasons from 2006 to 2008.
Source 10 · Edaily (Korean) · 2007 pro baseball MVP Rios · opens in a new tabSource 11 · Edaily (Korean) · 2021 KBO League position MVPs by top ranking points · opens in a new tab A season record, so only the year is given.The national baseball team won all nine games for the first Olympic gold medal in Korean baseball, and Oh was a pitcher on the team.
Source 12 · MyDaily (Korean) · Jung Dae-hyun, the international guardian who stopped Cuba, Japan and the U.S. · opens in a new tabSource 13 · Edaily (Korean) · Baseball team’s Oh Seung-hwan arrives · opens in a new tabSouth Korea lost the final to Japan 5-3 in 10 innings. Oh was one of 13 pitchers on the staff.
Source 14 · Joy News 24 (Korean) · The world was impressed, Korea’s fine baseball · opens in a new tabCame on in the bottom of the ninth against SK in Incheon with Samsung ahead 6-4 and pitched one scoreless inning. It matched the record he had set in 2006.
Source 15 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan ties the record with 47 saves · opens in a new tabLed in saves with 37, and Sports Kyunghyang reported that Japan’s Orix was considering signing him.
Source 16 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Orix considering signing Oh Seung-hwan · opens in a new tab A season record, so only the month is given. The article is dated Oct. 21.The terms were a signing bonus of 200 million yen, a salary of 300 million yen and annual incentives of 50 million yen, up to 900 million yen in all. He held introductory ceremonies in Korea on Dec. 4 and in Osaka on Dec. 13.
Source 17 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan joins Hanshin · opens in a new tabLed the league with 39 saves, going 2-4 with a 1.76 ERA. Sankei Sports reported that he pitched in all six Climax Series games and was named the Climax Series MVP.
Source 18 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Walk-off home run… Oh Seung-hwan · opens in a new tabSource 19 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan returns on the 23rd, future undecided · opens in a new tab A season record, so only the month is given.Recorded 41 saves, going 2-3 with a 2.83 ERA.
Source 19 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan returns on the 23rd, future undecided · opens in a new tab A season record, so only the month is given. The article is dated Oct. 23.A one-year contract with a club option for 2017, a 1+1 year arrangement. The amount was not disclosed.
Source 20 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · St. Louis’s Oh Seung-hwan returns on the 13th · opens in a new tabThe Seoul Central District Court issued a summary order fining him 10 million won. He apologized on returning to Korea on the 13th, and the KBO decided to impose a suspension of 50% of a season’s games if he returned to the KBO League.
Source 21 · Sports Hankook (Korean) · Overseas gambling, 10 million won fine by summary order · opens in a new tabSource 23 · Edaily (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan on returning: sorry to let you down · opens in a new tabSource 22 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan starts toward the top team, can pitch from June 9 · opens in a new tabIt was his second major league appearance. He came on in the bottom of the sixth with the score tied 5-5 and pitched one inning.
Source 24 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan’s three strikeouts · opens in a new tab Korea time. The date of his first appearance could not be confirmed.Took over as closer in early July and finished his first season 6-3 with 19 saves, 14 holds and a 1.92 ERA.
Source 25 · Newsis (Korean) · Choo Shin-soo and Ryu Hyun-jin revive, Oh Seung-hwan slows · opens in a new tab The move to closer was in early July (Newsis); the stats cover the whole season.Signed with Samsung after six years abroad. Because part of his suspension remained, he could not pitch in the KBO League that season.
Source 26 · Newsis (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan returns to Samsung after six years · opens in a new tabCame on in the eighth with Samsung trailing 3-4 and pitched one inning, allowing one hit and no runs.
Source 27 · Hankyoreh (Korean) · Sweating Oh Seung-hwan, first hold in the domestic league in 15 years · opens in a new tabIt was his first saves title in nine years, since 2012.
Source 29 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · What Oh Seung-hwan and four other players have in common · opens in a new tabSource 11 · Edaily (Korean) · 2021 KBO League position MVPs by top ranking points · opens in a new tab A season record, so only the year is given.Returned to Incheon International Airport on the 8th after competing at the Tokyo Olympics.
Source 28 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Baseball team’s Oh Seung-hwan returns · opens in a new tab This is the date of the report on his return, not a match date.Reached the mark by coming on in the ninth and closing out a 9-6 win over NC in Daegu.
Source 30 · News1 (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan reaches 500 saves across Korea, the U.S. and Japan · opens in a new tabReached it in the top of the ninth against SSG in Daegu.
Source 31 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan reaches 400 saves, a first in the KBO · opens in a new tabHe recorded 27 saves that year. In an article on the day of his retirement game, Yonhap News Agency noted that his Aug. 11 save against KIA was expected to stand as his last.
Source 32 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · The unforgettable records Oh Seung-hwan leaves behind · opens in a new tabHeld a retirement press conference in Incheon on the 7th. His playing career lasted 21 years.
Source 33 · Newsis (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan retirement press conference · opens in a new tabPitched in his 738th KBO League game, the retirement game against KIA. He finished with 549 saves across Korea, the U.S. and Japan and 427 in the KBO League, and Samsung retired his number 21.
Source 32 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · The unforgettable records Oh Seung-hwan leaves behind · opens in a new tabSource 34 · Sports Hankook (Korean) · Stone Buddha Oh Seung-hwan finishes his retirement ceremony in tears · opens in a new tabReceived it at the ceremony held at the Riviera Hotel in Seoul.
Source 35 · Newsis (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan, winner of the Ilgu Daesang · opens in a new tabHe made his debut as an MBC baseball commentator in November 2025. He was set to cover all of South Korea’s first-round World Baseball Classic games with fellow commentator Jung Min-cheul.
Source 36 · MBC Entertainment (Korean) · MBC unveils its WBC broadcast lineup led by Oh Seung-hwan · opens in a new tabOpened a baseball training center under his own name.
Source 37 · Newsis (Korean) · Oh Seung-hwan opens a baseball training center · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2004–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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Sports · South Korea
Jul 15, 1982 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1982: the year of the event minus 1982, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.10.02 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.