Lee Soo-kwang (80), who will lead the KBL for the next three years, emphasized that he will put the spirit of ‘Fan First’ as the highest value.
“The flower of professional sports is the fan,” Lee, who was elected as the 11th head of the KBL, said at his inauguration ceremony at the KBL Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Monday.
Professional basketball, which had been decimated by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), is on the rebound, with regular-season gate receipts exceeding 10 billion won for the first time in the 2023-2024 season and attendance up 23 percent from the previous season.
However, Lee said, “We still have a long way to go. It is an important time for our professional basketball to take another leap forward after overcoming various difficulties and starting anew,” Lee said, adding that he will not be complacent.
He emphasized that he will continue to focus on fan-centered administration.
“With fan support, players gain strength and clubs exist,” Lee said. “We will do our best to ensure that the returning spectators’ fan spirit does not leave and that professional basketball becomes a festival for fans.”
“We will actively work with teams to make the basketball court a fun and happy place with a variety of fan services. We will further activate our integrated marketing platform and utilize new media to expand our contact points with basketball fans.”
He also promised to “increase the number and professionalism of referees to enhance the fairness and transparency of the game,” and to “fully collect the opinions of the field when revising various systems and regulations to ensure that common sense results are achieved.”
Lee, a professional businessman, has served as CEO of Dongbu Fire and Dongbu E&C, and since February this year, he has been auditing the Kim Jun-ki Cultural Foundation.
“I have experience working in various business fields,” Lee said, “and based on this, I will devote all my capabilities to the development of professional basketball.”
The KBL has been organized since 2018, with each of its 10 clubs taking turns as president. 카지노사이트