Koo named KBO president

By Yoon Chul

Koo Bon-neung, the chairman of Heesung Group, was appointed the 19th president of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) Tuesday.

The KBO announced that its board members, comprising the CEOs of KBO teams, unanimously voted Koo the new head of Korea’s professional baseball governing body.

The organization will hold a committee meeting next week with the owners of the clubs to confirm Koo’s appointment, but it is expected to be just a formality.

Assuming Koo’s selection is approved, he will become the third president to be voted in by the board as the post was previously government appointed. He would then take over the post left vacant by former president Yoo Young-koo, who resigned in May.

Once Koo completes Yoo’s term, which runs until the end of this year, he will automatically be re-elected as the 20th KBO president.

As the news reached the pro teams’ managers, they unanimously welcomed his appointment.

“I really welcome someone who has played baseball and has become president of the KBO,” said SK Wyverns manager Kim Sung-keun.

The 62-year-old Koo is the younger brother of LG Group chairman Koo Bon-moo.