The Japanese national baseball team has won the Premier 12 championship for the first time, beating South Korea 5-3 in the final.

South Korea won an early 3 run lead with two home runs, but Japan held resilient longer with better defense and reactionary plays. 

This was the second edition of the tournament, which is held once every four years.

Sunday's victory marked the first time since the 2009 World Baseball Classic that Japan has won an international competition featuring professional players from the world's top leagues.

The 2019 Premier 12 championship also doubled as the qualification round for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.