First Half Leader, 50,000 Spectators... The Light and Shadow Within the Future of Ulsan Whales [Ryu Sun-kyu's Bizball]

*This content was translated by AI.

The cumulative attendance for Ulsan Whales (hereinafter Ulsan) during the first half of this year across 37 home games was 50,047, averaging 1,364 spectators per game. While this figure is small compared to the KBO League's first division average of 18,004 spectators per game, surpassing an average of 1,000 spectators per game in the Futures League (second division) is considered a meaningful achievement.

Performance has also exceeded expectations. Ulsan finished the first half with 40 wins, 1 tie, and 27 losses (winning percentage 0.597), taking the lead in the Southern League of the Futures League. They are currently maintaining their momentum, finishing the first half 1.5 games ahead of second-place Lotte Giants (39 wins, 1 tie, 29 losses; winning percentage 0.574). Ulsan was established ahead of this season with a roster centered on released players and undrafted rookies from the new player draft. Although the team could have signed four foreign players, concerns were raised about whether they could build competitiveness given the thin domestic player pool. However, by achieving both milestones—surpassing an average of 1,000 home spectators per game and leading the Southern League—the club has demonstrated competitiveness and entertainment potential beyond that of a newly founded team.

Coincidentally, on the 3rd, when Ulsan surpassed the cumulative home attendance of 50,000, concerns about the club's future surfaced. Kim Sang-wook, the new mayor of Ulsan Metropolitan City, appeared on Ulsan Broadcasting's YouTube channel and stated, "We plan to go through a public discussion process around the time our contract with (Ulsan and the Korea Baseball Organization) expires," adding, "Since it is operated with citizens' tax money, whether it truly helps the baseball ecosystem in Ulsan remains a question mark." Later, Mayor Kim drew a line on the 'abolition theory,' stating, "I have never directly mentioned abolition." At the Ulsan City executive meeting held on the 8th, he emphasized that rather than dissolution, there is a need to re-examine the justification for budget support and operational methods. However, given the nature of a citizen-run club funded by taxes, the club's continued existence will inevitably be influenced by public opinion and administrative judgment, so related controversies are not expected to subside easily.

Ulsan is closer to a hybrid model combining the city-and-province-based clubs of Korea Professional Football League (K League) with the second-division-only teams of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). In the K League, city-and-province-based clubs officially emerged in 2002 following the Korea-Japan World Cup. Starting with Daegu FC in 2002, Incheon United was founded in 2003, Gyeongnam FC in 2005, and more recently, Yongin FC and Paju Frontier FC joined this year, bringing the total number of city-and-province-based clubs to 17. In NPB, Omi Six Niigata Albirex BC and Kofu Hayate Ventures Shizuoka were added to the league in 2024 as second-division-only teams. Omi Six moved from an independent league to the NPB Eastern League, while Hayate joined the Western League as a newly founded club established by a regional corporate consortium.

However, Ulsan lacks the core advantages possessed separately by K League city-and-province-based clubs and NPB second-division-only teams. First, K League city-and-province-based clubs compete on the same stage as corporate clubs through promotion and relegation systems, with the goal of advancing to higher leagues. In contrast, as a second-division-only team in the Futures League, Ulsan is structurally unable to be promoted to the first division. The annual budget for operating the baseball club by Ulsan City is approximately 6 billion won, which is less than some K League city-and-province-based clubs. However, with the goal of advancing to a higher league fundamentally blocked, even an identical 6 billion won budget may place a heavier burden on local governments.

It is known that Ulsan City planned to operate the baseball club as a citizen-run entity until 2028, after which it would transition into a corporation through public bidding. However, given the annual cost of around 6 billion won and the nature of being a second-division-only team unable to be promoted to the first division, finding a private entity to take over operations is not expected to be easy. Due to the high proportion of labor costs in baseball club operations, establishing a foundation for financial self-reliance is also challenging. While revenue sources can be secured through selling naming rights for the club or stadium, it remains uncertain whether this will ensure sustainable funding.

Furthermore, all NPB second-division-only teams are operated by private companies. There must be a fundamental difference in sustainability between clubs operated by private companies and those run by local governments using tax money.

Ulsan identified several challenges while playing the first half of this season. According to contract terms, some players have been eligible for transfer to KBO clubs since May 20, but no actual cases have occurred so far. It is already known through media reports that existing KBO clubs and Ulsan Whales had differing views on the criteria for calculating player transfer fees. If the transfer system does not function properly, combined with the inherent limitations of being a 'second-division-only team,' the very reason for Ulsan's existence could weaken. This is because most players who chose Ulsan ultimately aim to return to the KBO stage. To secure long-term competitiveness, the player acquisition system must also be improved. Institutional improvements, such as granting Ulsan additional draft picks in the new player draft (currently after the 11th round), should also be considered.

Ulsan has exceeded expectations in both entertainment and performance since its founding year. This demonstrates the possibility that even second-division teams can become meaningful content for local communities and fans. However, as a club that started as a citizen-run entity, it must address challenges related to the sustainability of administration and finances, as well as player development systems. Ultimately, Ulsan's future depends not just on whether it continues to exist, but on finding answers to 'why this club is necessary.' To ensure Ulsan's challenge leads to long-term success, it must consistently prove its founding purpose of expanding the base of local baseball and developing players, while building an operational model that both citizens and private entities can accept.

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*This content was translated by AI.