7 pro sports organizations launch association

By Nam Hyun-woo

Seven professional sports organizations have joined forces to launch an association to boost Korea’s pro sports community, Monday.

The association, dubbed Korea Professional Sports Association (KPSA), held its inauguration ceremony at the Millennium Seoul Hilton Hotel in central Seoul.

Its members include seven domestic sports organizations and federations ― the nation’s professional football circuit, K-League, Korea Baseball Organization, Korean Basketball League, Women’s Korean Basketball League, Korean Volleyball Federation, Korea Professional Golfers’ Association and Korea Ladies’ Professional Golf Association.

Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Kim Jong-deok and heads of the sports organizations attended the ceremony to celebrate the association’s inauguration.

“In a bid to pursue a huge advance in Korea’s professional sports and consolidate the value of sportsmanship, the seven organizations agreed to establish the association,” the KPSA said.

According to the KPSA, pro sports have made a big contribution in providing a healthy leisure culture, but at the same time they felt a limit to expanding their infrastructure as well as garnering more participants. They have realized that there is a need to improve each sport club’s ability to maintain and grow its business by itself.

The KPSA said it will usher in integrated marketing efforts, plans to raise fairness in sports and study projects on sports policy and statistics to seek growth and advance Korea’s pro sports.

K-League President Kwon Oh-gap was sworn in as the first chairman of the KPSA.