Former Premier12 winner Min Byung-hun to undergo brain surgery

Min Byung-hun, the right fielder of the Korean National Team that won the 2015 WBSC Premier12, has announced he will undergo brain surgery on Friday, 22 January, to remove an aneurysm.

A cerebral aneurysm is a bulge in a weakened area of the wall of a brain artery.

The 33-year-old captain of the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said that he first learned of his condition after visiting a hospital with a debilitating headache in 2019. Min's father passed away with a cerebral haemorrhage. After learning the family's history, doctors recommended surgery.

Min struggled during the 2020 season. After recording a batting average of at least .300 from 2013 to 2019, the KBO All-Star batted only .233 in 109 games.

The right hander will miss the start of the 2021 Spring Training, which is set to begin on 1 February, for the first time in his 16-year professional career.

Min represented Korea in both editions of the WBSC Premier12. He appeared in five games, starting four, in the inaugural 2015 edition, where he went 6-for-13.

On the very next pitch 🔥🔥🔥

Min Byunghun RBI double! #Premier12 #KBO #프리미어12 pic.twitter.com/FfldFYmlYF

— WBSC ⚾ #Premier12 (@Premier12) November 6, 2019

He was Korea's starting right fielder in the 2019 edition, going 5-for-23 with two doubles, helping Korea earn the silver medal and also qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.