TOKYO — Kim Tae-kyun drove in the only run Monday to help South Korea beat defending champion Japan 1-0 and finish first in Pool A of the World Baseball Classic.

Both teams had already advanced to the second round, and Monday's game was to determine the seedings. Japan will face the Pool B winner in the second round while South Korea takes on the Pool B runner-up in its first game March 15.

Japan beat South Korea 14-2 Saturday but couldn't come up with timely hits after Kim gave his team a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on a grounder down the third base line, scoring Lee Jong-wook from second.

"Japan beat us in the first game so it was nice to come back and get the win in this game," Kim said. "Japan's pitchers have a tendency to pitch inside. I just kept that in mind and was pleased to get a big hit."

South Korea starter Bong Jung-keun held Japan to three hits over 5-1/3 scoreless innings to pick up the win. Japan starter Hisashi Iwakuma, a 21-game winner last season for the Rakuten Eagles, gave up one run on two hits over 5-1/3 innings and took the loss.

Japan had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. Ichiro Suzuki got his first hit of the game with a one-out single to center off South Korea reliever Ryu Hyun-jin.

Suzuki advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Hiroyuki Nakajima, but Norichika Aoki grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning.

Nakajima has been one of Japan's best hitters in the opening round of the WBC and many will question Japan manager Tatsunori Hara's decision to have him bunt in that situation.

South Korea squandered a chance to widen the lead in the seventh. Kim Hyun-soo led off with a walk and advanced to third on a double by Kim Tae-kyun. Lee Dae-ho then hit into a fielder's choice double play before Lee Yong-kyu lined out to center field.

South Korea improved to 3-1 while Japan dropped to 2-1.

Monday's game was the latest edition of an intense rivalry between the two baseball-loving nations. Saturday's 14-2 win was called after seven innings under the tournament's mercy rule.

South Korea beat Japan twice in the Beijing Olympics before going on to win the gold medal. The Koreans also beat Japan twice in the 2006 WBC before Japan defeated the Koreans in the semifinals.

Japan defeated Cuba 10-6 in the final to win the inaugural WBC.