*This content was translated by AI.
Park Chan-ho (53), the first Korean major leaguer, becomes the first Korean investor in an MLB club, opening another path connecting Korean baseball to the global stage.
The investment consortium 'Team 61', formed around Park Chan-ho, announced on the 27th that it has signed a strategic partnership with the Las Vegas Athletics of Major League Baseball and agreed to invest a total of $70 million (approximately 102.6 billion won).
To date, an investment of $55 million (approximately 80.6 billion won) has been completed, while the remaining $15 million (approximately 21.9 billion won) is scheduled to be finalized after receiving MLB approval.
Additionally, Park Chan-ho will join as Senior Advisor to Athletics owner John Fisher through this partnership, providing consultation on player development and the formulation and implementation of Asian strategy.
The Athletics, founded in 1901 as a charter member of the American League, is a traditional powerhouse representing Major League Baseball. With nine World Series championships and 15 American League titles to its name, it has left significant marks on MLB history and is well known to domestic fans as the real-life setting for the movie 'Moneyball'. Ahead of its relocation to Las Vegas in 2028, the club is preparing for a new leap by building a new stadium.
Team 61 is an investment consortium that includes 'Korean Express' Park Chan-ho, along with Julius Star Ken Jung and Daniel Tae Kim. They became the first case of Korean capital securing a stake in an MLB club during the Athletics' fundraising process for the construction of a new stadium in Las Vegas.
This partnership is highly symbolic as Park Chan-ho, the first Korean player in Major League history, has become the first Korean investor in MLB history. Behind this lies Park Chan-ho's philosophy, which has long contributed to the development of Korean baseball. During his playing career, Park established the Park Chan-ho Scholarship Foundation to begin youth support activities and has held the 'Park Chan-ho National Little League Tournament' and 'Park Chan-ho Baseball Camp' for over a decade, serving as a bridge for discovering promising players and facilitating their entry into Major League Baseball.
Team 61 emphasized that this partnership goes beyond a simple equity relationship, representing an investment in the future of Korean baseball. Just as Park Chan-ho's challenge in the 1990s led to numerous Korean players such as Byung-hyun Kim, Shin-soo Choo, Hyun-jin Ryu, Ha-seong Kim, and Jung-hoo Lee making their way to the Big Leagues, they explained that this connection with the Athletics will become another link for future generations.
Senior Advisor Park Chan-ho stated, "During my playing days, I learned and felt how a small point of contact could create significant change by introducing Korea to Major League Baseball and introducing MLB to domestic baseball fans." He added, "Now that Korea is a baseball powerhouse with an excellent fan base and player development system, we hope that through exchanges with Las Vegas, which will open a new era in Major League Baseball, more opportunities will be opened for future generations of players. We are grateful to have the opportunity to develop Korean baseball one step further together with the Athletics."
The Athletics also expect to expand its fan base in Asia, including Korea, through this partnership. Korea recently broke through 10 million professional baseball spectators for two consecutive years and recorded 7.63 million spectators in just the first half of the 2026 season, boasting world-class baseball enthusiasm. Furthermore, as of 2020, per capita MLB viewership ranked second globally, higher than that of the United States, earning it recognition as a place with one of the world's most renowned baseball fan cultures.
Athletics owner John Fisher said, "Korea is a country with great passion for baseball. We are very pleased to be able to support the future of Korean baseball together with Park Chan-ho and Team 61." He continued, "Just as Park Chan-ho pioneered a new path for Korean and Asian players in the United States, we believe this partnership, which leads Korean investment in an MLB club, will create positive impacts over a long period."
This partnership is expected to be the starting point for mutual growth between the Athletics, preparing for a new era in Las Vegas, and Korean baseball, which seeks long-term development by expanding exchanges with Major League Baseball.
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*This content was translated by AI.
