South Korean pitcher Lim Chang-yong of the Yakult Swallows in Japan will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn ligament in his right elbow, his Seoul-based agent said Thursday.

Park Yu-hyun, Lim’s agent, said the right-hander has opted to go under the knife to repair the ligament damage.

“We’ve informed the team of the decision to undergo surgery today,” Park said. “The operation will take place sometime next week at the latest.”

This will be Lim’s second elbow reconstructive surgery, also known as Tommy John surgery, named after the former major league pitcher.

The 36-year-old also had the operation in 2005 and needed almost two years to recover his dominant form that saw him lead the Korea Baseball Organization in saves in three different seasons.

The agent said the Swallows closer may have suffered the injury in a game against the Yomiuri Giants last Friday.

With the team leading 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Lim relieved starter Katsuki Akagawa. But Lim only retired two batters while giving up a walk and two hits.

“Lim told me he felt some heaviness in his pitching arm when he gave up the hits,” Park said, adding that doctors the next day found inflammation in Lim’s elbow.

Lim then continued to pitch in the minors, and further tests revealed a torn ligament, Park said.

Lim joined the Japanese club before the 2008 season, after pitching 13 seasons for two different teams in South Korea.

Lim has racked up 128 saves in Japan, the most by a Korean pitcher there. (Yonhap News)