Kumho Tire extends partnership with Kia Tigers through 2028 season

Kia Tigers General Manager Shim Jae-hak, left, poses with Kumho Tire Senior Vice President of Global Marketing Yoon Min-seok during a partnership signing ceremony at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, Friday. Courtesy of Kumho Tire

Kumho Tire has renewed its partnership with the Kia Tigers, extending its official sponsorship with the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club through the 2028 season, the company said Monday.

Kumho Tire held a partnership renewal signing ceremony on Friday at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, home of the Kia Tigers.

Under the renewed agreement, Kia Tigers players will wear uniforms featuring the Kumho Tire logo on the right side of the chest throughout all regular-season games this year. The sponsorship will also cover all 144 home and away games, as well as the club’s website, YouTube channel, ticketing and fan publications.

The Kia Tigers are the most decorated club in KBO League history, having won the Korean Series a record number of times. The roster includes internationally experienced and national team-caliber players such as Yang Hyeon-jong, Na Sung-bum, Kim Do-young and Kim Seon-bin.

Kumho Tire initially reinstated its partnership with the Kia Tigers in 2022 after a four-year hiatus, citing the club’s broad national fan base as a key driver of brand visibility. The company said the latest extension is part of its ongoing strategy to reinforce its premium brand positioning through sports sponsorship.

“We are deeply honored to continue our partnership with the KIA Tigers, one of the most prestigious and storied clubs in Korean professional baseball,” Kumho Tire Senior Vice President of Global Marketing Yoon Min-seok said.

“We look forward to launching even more diverse marketing campaigns to connect with fans and strengthen our brand’s standing in the market,” he added.

The tire maker said it plans to continue expanding its presence through partnerships with domestic and international sports clubs and competitions.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.