"The Gold Medal Is a Beginning, Not an End"… KBL Preseason Opens on the 24th, With 8 Gold Medalists Returning

10 games will be played over four days, September 24-27. 8 of the 12 Asian Games gold medal members belong to KBL clubs and are returning to their home courts. All 10 games will be streamed exclusively on Tving.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

Three-Line Summary

The KBL preseason 'OPEN MATCH DAY' will be held September 24-27, with 10 clubs playing 10 games in total over four days.
8 of the 12 Asian Games gold medalists belong to KBL clubs and return to their teams for this preseason.
Tving will exclusively stream all 10 preseason games on OTT, and the regular season opens on October 3.

67-57. That was the last number on the scoreboard at Aichi International Arena in Japan on September 20. Since the 2014 Incheon Games, Korean men's basketball had waited 12 years to reclaim the top spot in Asia. The faces who played on that court will scatter four days later to gyms in Daegu, Wonju and Goyang. The KBL preseason 'OPEN MATCH DAY' opens on the 24th.

KBL Preseason Schedule — 10 Games Over Four Days, September 24-27, Streamed Exclusively on Tving

According to Top Star News, the 10 clubs will play 2 games each, for 10 games in total over four days. On opening day, the 24th, Korea Gas Corporation vs. Hyundai Mobis at Daegu Gymnasium and DB vs. Samsung at Wonju DB Promy Arena tip off side by side at 2 p.m., followed by Sono vs. SK at Goyang Sono Arena at 4:30 p.m., as Newspim reported.

Date	Time	Venue	Matchup
9/24	14:00	Daegu Gymnasium	Korea Gas Corporation-Hyundai Mobis
9/24	14:00	Wonju DB Promy Arena	DB-Samsung
9/24	16:30	Goyang Sono Arena	Sono-SK
9/27	14:00	Jamsil Students' Gymnasium	Samsung-Jeongkwanjang
9/27	14:00	Suwon kt Arena	kt-Sono
9/27	16:30	Busan Sajik Gymnasium	KCC-Korea Gas Corporation

3 games are also scheduled for the final day, the 27th, Top Star News reported. Changwon LG is reportedly playing both of its games on the road because of construction at its home gym. Tving will stream all 10 preseason games exclusively on OTT and will carry every KBL game through the regular season and playoffs, as Newsbuzz reported. The regular season begins with the KCC-LG opener on October 3, and each team will play 54 games.

8 of the 12 Gold Medalists Return to the KBL; Lee Hyun-jung Is Out

Of the 12 gold medal members, 8 belong to KBL clubs. Lee Jung-hyun (Sono), Byeon Jun-hyeong and Moon Yu-hyeon (Jeongkwanjang), Moon Jung-hyeon (kt), Eddie Daniel (SK), Yu Gi-sang (LG), Lee Seung-hyun (Hyundai Mobis) and Jang Jae-seok (KCC) are returning to their home courts. Because they played 6 games at the Asian Games, their playing time is up to each club's judgment.

Lee Hyun-jung, who in the final hit 5 three-pointers on the way to 27 points and 18 rebounds, is not among them. He is at an NBA camp after signing a 1-year non-guaranteed 'Exhibit 10' contract with Portland. Newspim reported that Moon Jung-hyeon (kt) was named a replacement on September 8 because of a left finger injury to Ahn Young-jun (SK).

Byeon Jun-hyeong's Salary of 800 Million Won, and the First Test of 2 Foreign Players on Court at Once

Byeon Jun-hyeong's total compensation for the 2026-2027 season is 800 million won, tying him with Heo Hun (KCC) for first place. It is the first time he has reached that spot since his 2018 debut. That means 27% of the 3 billion won domestic-player salary cap is tied up in a single player (800 million ÷ 3 billion). The figures are based on the July 1 player registration deadline, so some numbers may change.

Rank	Player	Total Compensation	Team / Notes
1	Byeon Jun-hyeong	800 million won	Jeongkwanjang / Asian Games gold medalist, first time at No. 1 since debut
1	Heo Hun	800 million won	KCC / Joint No. 1 for 2 straight seasons
3	Ahn Young-jun	750 million won	SK / Dropped from the Asian Games with an injury
3	Yang Hong-seok	750 million won	LG / Highest on the team
5	Lee Jung-hyun	720 million won	Sono / Played in the Asian Games final

The rules are changing too. Starting with the 2026-2027 season, 2 foreign players may play at the same time, in the 2nd and 3rd quarters only. According to Newspim, clubs will get their first live look at their new foreign-player combinations in this preseason. The foreign-player salary cap is $1 million per team, with a maximum of $700,000 per player.

Preseason records do not count toward official KBL career records. How many minutes each club gives its 8 returnees will be the first clue to reading the new season. Coach Mazuras said at the gold medal press conference: "I think this gold medal also carries great meaning for the country of Korea and for the basketball community. The better the national team does, the more passionately young players will be able to play basketball."

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Where can I watch the KBL preseason games?

Tving (TVING) will exclusively stream all 10 preseason games on OTT from September 24-27. It will carry every KBL game through the regular season, which opens on October 3, and the playoffs.

Q. How much do KBL preseason tickets cost?

It varies by club, and there is no officially confirmed unified price list. For accurate information, check the KBL ticket information page and each club's announcements directly.

Q. Will Lee Hyun-jung play in the KBL preseason?

No. He signed a 1-year non-guaranteed 'Exhibit 10' contract with the Portland Trail Blazers and is taking part in their NBA camp, so he is not affiliated with the KBL.

Related Official Sites

KBL (Korean Basketball League) Official Website — Full preseason and regular-season schedule and official announcements
KBL Ticket Information Page — Booking routes by club and ticket-related information
KBL TV Official YouTube Channel — Game highlights and club videos
Korea Basketball Association (KBA) Official Website — National team news and tournament information

Representative image · Archival photo · Not a photo from the game covered in this article · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Khm3212), CC BY-SA 3.0