KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul, who led the club to the 2026 Korea Baseball Organization regular-season title, will stay with the team under the richest contract ever given to a KBO manager. The deal was completed before the Korean Series had even been decided.
KT said on the 19th that it had re-signed Lee to a three-year contract with a guaranteed total of 3.4 billion won ($2.4 million), including a 1 billion won signing bonus and an annual salary of 800 million won. It is the largest managerial contract in KBO history, surpassing the previous record of 3 billion won over three years held by LG Twins manager Yum Kyoung-youb.
Since taking charge in October 2018, Lee has transformed KT into one of the league's strongest teams. He guided the club to its first postseason appearance in 2020 and to its first regular-season-and-Korean-Series double title in 2021. KT stumbled last season, missing the postseason, but this year the team went 90-49-5 for a .647 winning percentage to claim the regular-season crown and advance directly to the Korean Series.
"I am grateful to the club for re-signing me on such good terms, and to the coaching staff and players who supported me," Lee said. "I will finish this season in a higher place and keep building a strong team that competes for championships."