Korean-American Star Dane Dunning Prepares for WBC Quarterfinal Against Dominican Republic: What’s at Stake?

Daniel Kim 2026.03.13 Views

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Dunning / Photo=GettyImages

[Sports Today reporter Shin Seoyoung] Dane Dunning of the Seattle Mariners, representing his mother’s native South Korea, opened up about the upcoming World Baseball Classic quarterfinal against the Dominican Republic.

MLB.com ran a feature on Dunning on March 13 (KST).

The piece pointed out that Dunning, born to a Korean mother and an American father, has long lived between two cultures. He even has a Hangul tattoo on his arm that reads \”Same Blood.\”

As a child, Dunning said he grew up choosing between two different dinners every night — his mother’s Korean cooking or his father’s American meals. \”Some nights I wanted bulgogi, kimchi and rice; other nights, steak, baked potato and green beans,\” he recalled.

This WBC carries special meaning for him. Dunning tried to join Korea’s squad in 2023 but had to withdraw because of injury.

\”It’s a huge honor to represent my mother and my family in Korea,\” he said. \”I’m excited for this tournament. I want to spend time with the guys and win a lot of games. Above all, representing my mom is really special.\”

Before the tournament, Dunning’s wife and two children traveled to Korea and met his family there for the first time. \”My grandmother was surprised. It was an amazing experience,\” he said. \”I wish I could’ve been there, but I’m glad it happened.\”

The Korean national team blends KBO standouts with players who have MLB experience — including Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants) and Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha Eagles) — along with Korean-descended players such as Shea Whitcomb (Houston Astros) and Jermai Jones (Detroit Tigers).

Dunning emphasized the value of always learning, no matter how long you play. \”Whether you’ve been playing a few years or many, you should try to learn as much as you can,\” he said. \”Korean and American playing styles can differ — you can even pick up things from their stretching routines.\”

He added that the most important part is building bonds while wearing the same uniform and sharing these experiences together. \”That’s truly special,\” he said.

Dunning has become a key arm in Korea’s bullpen. He struggled in his first outing against Taiwan, surrendering a two-run homer to Stewart Fairchild (Tampa Bay Rays), but bounced back on March 9 against Australia by throwing a clean inning to help Korea reach the quarterfinals.

After striking out Rix Wingrove (Brisbane Bandits) swinging to end the seventh, he let out an unusually loud roar.

\”I don’t usually show my emotions. My dad taught me never to show emotion to the opponent, so I’ve always stayed calm and composed,\” Dunning said. \”But the road to the quarterfinals was so demanding. Getting out of that situation made me so happy, and I let my emotions out. It was an incredible moment.\”

Korea will face one of the tournament favorites, the Dominican Republic, in the quarterfinals on March 14 at 7:30 a.m. KST.

\”I want to win every game,\” Dunning said. \”With young leaders like Kim Do-young and Ahn Hyun-min guiding the team, we actually feel less pressure. We never expected to get this far — it’s our first quarterfinal in 17 years — and the Dominican Republic has assembled what feels like an Avengers-level roster.\”

He added, \”We have a lot of young players. Of course we’ll give our best and try to go as far as possible. For these youngsters, honing their skills and learning to manage nerves in situations like this will be invaluable.\”