*This content was translated by AI.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) plans to hold a board meeting at 10 a.m. on the 7th, with representatives from 10 Koo Dan (President) attending, to discuss the appointment of the next commissioner. The biggest point of interest is whether current Commissioner Heo Goo-yeon will seek a third term.
Commissioner Heo took office as the 24th KBO head in March 2022. After serving for about a year and a half to complete the remaining term of former Commissioner Jeong Ji-taek, he was reappointed as the 25th commissioner by unanimous written vote at the KBO general assembly in November 2023. His three-year term ends at the end of this year.
The baseball community is highly optimistic about the possibility of Commissioner Heo's reappointment. Since his arrival, the KBO League has enjoyed a major boom, surpassing 10 million spectators for three consecutive years up to this year and breaking the 12th million mark for two consecutive years. Broadcasting rights contract amounts have also been significantly increased. The national baseball team has achieved good results in international tournaments, including advancing to the quarterfinals of this year's World Baseball Classic (WBC) and winning gold medals at the Asian Games for five consecutive times, drawing enthusiastic interest and support from fans.
The high-ranking officials of each club who will decide on the next commissioner are largely in a mood that recognizes Commissioner Heo's contributions. It is reported that they highly evaluate his efforts to revive baseball into a truly popular sport in Korea and significantly boost club revenues through increased spectator numbers, merchandise sales, and broadcasting rights fees.
There is also an opinion that Commissioner Heo Goo-yeon's more shining achievement over the past four and a half years lies not in visible results, but in instilling the value of "fairness (justice and equity)" into the baseball world.
Since taking office, Commissioner Heo has led the introduction of various systems, including the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS), pitch clock, and check swing video review. Such changes are evaluated as contributing significantly to enhancing the fairness of game operations, resolving distrust among players, umpires, and other members, and shortening game times.
In a survey conducted by the KBO from May to July targeting 4,000 male and female on-site spectators aged 15 and older, 76.7% of respondents answered that these institutional changes and their establishment had a positive impact on encouraging game attendance, showing that fans also actively support the KBO's league operation methods.
The keyword "fairness" was applied as the top priority in selecting the national baseball team as well. The manager of the Ryu Ji-hyeon (CEO) team said before the recent Asian Games, "Among all past tournaments, this time we have gone through a smooth preparation process without any noise or variables, and the atmosphere is very good." It is reported that Commissioner Heo told the selection committee members, "Do not be swayed by outside influences; select players based solely on your own judgment for the sake of fans and performance."
He also pursued bold reforms within the KBO organization. A baseball official said, "There can be complaints or requests regarding personnel or administration in the position of KBO Commissioner," adding, "However, Commissioner Heo Goo-yeon rejects such privileges or practices and selects people based solely on ability."
Furthermore, leveraging his strength as the first KBO commissioner from a baseball background, Commissioner Heo tirelessly visited the field and listened to the voices of stakeholders. True to his nickname "Heo Infra (a portmanteau of Heo Goo-yeon and infrastructure)," he met with numerous local government heads and showed unwavering interest in building infrastructure. In addition, he continued forward-looking moves for the future of Korean baseball, such as promoting the establishment of a "Sports Science Center" and continuing to hold the "Next Level Training Camp" and "Tee Ball Tournament."
Unlike past commissioners who were politicians or businesspeople, his ability to contact administrators in a neutral and principled manner is also cited as one of his strengths.
"Fairness" also leads to Commissioner Heo's other convictions: "Fan First" and "Clean Baseball." One official said, "Because fair and clean games are played at baseball stadiums, hasn't the number of spectators increased significantly, including among younger generations and female fans?"
The KBO commissioner is recommended by receiving approval from more than three-quarters of the board of directors and elected by a vote of more than three-quarters in favor at the general assembly of club owners. If Commissioner Heo Goo-yeon succeeds in securing a third term, it will be the third such case following former Commissioners Park Yong-o (12th to 14th terms, 1998–2005) and Koo Bon-neung (19th to 21st terms, 2011–2017).
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*This content was translated by AI.
