Discovering a second Yang Min-hyuk → Promise of Kwon Oh-gap, President of the Professional Federation, to Make a Future-oriented K-League...Announcement of the New Year's Address for 2025
Jan 01, 2025
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In his New Year's address, President Kwon suggested ▶ expanding contact with fans through fan-friendly league operation ▶ actively fostering youth and finding prospects ▶ enhancing K-League brand value ▶ strengthening social responsibility and publicity, along with the goal of making the K-League a future-oriented league in 2025.
The K-League continues to draw an upward curve, surpassing 3 million spectators for two consecutive years last year. The first part recorded 2.58,585 and the second part recorded 889,125. A total of 3,439,662 people entered 467 games. Since the introduction of the paid attendance tally in 2018, both leagues have set new records for the largest number of spectators in a single season. Compared to 2023 (301,509), which exceeded 3 million for the first time, the number increased by 420,000.
Kwon said, `The K-League is not complacent about its current popularity but wants to go one step further and create a future-oriented league. From 2025, Hwaseong will participate in the K-League, and 12 K-League 1 and 14 K-League 2 teams will join. As the K-League has the largest number of clubs and wide-ranging regions among Korean professional sports, it will make it easier for fans from all over the country to access the K-League and find the stadium. 'We will always try to reach out to fans first and be loved through marketing and active local activities to operate the fan-friendly league.'"
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He took office as president of the Professional Federation in 2013 and won re-election in 2017. In 2021, he ran alone and won three terms in the form of an election without a primary. As he has successfully led the professional league for more than a decade, there is no reason for disqualification. Last month, President Kwon passed a review of the approval of the Korea Football Association's Sports Fair Committee for a fourth consecutive term.
President Kwon said, `Last year, young players such as Park Seung-soo, Yoon Do-young, and Kang Joo-hyuk, including Yang Min-hyuk, who won the K League 1 Young Player Award, were notable. This is the result of the combination of the K-League's long-standing youth development system, semi-professional contract system, and mandatory U22 participation regulations. ' He stressed that 'We will actively advance the development system and conduct various international exchanges and educational projects so that youth players can grow in the best environment in the future, so that youth players can contribute to the K-League's competitiveness.'
He promised to develop K-League intellectual property rights in the digital domain and actively cooperate with other fields such as games and entertainment to enhance the marketability of the K-League in many ways.
President Kwon said, `We will advance eco-friendly policies within the league in line with the era of global tropicalization. 'We will also work on responding to the climate crisis through football by implementing systematic eco-friendly policies, such as establishing a club environmental data management platform to reduce carbon neutrality, greenhouse gas emissions, and expanding environmental education for league officials,' he added.
◇ Full text of President Kwon Oh-gap's New Year's address
Hello, soccer fans who love K-League?
The new year of the 乙巳 has arrived in 2025. I sincerely wish you all a year full of health and happiness in the new year.
Last year, the K-League surpassed 3 million paid spectators for the second consecutive year, setting a record for the largest number of spectators since the tally of paid spectators. Once again, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the K-League fans for visiting the stadium.
The K-League wants to go one step further and create a future-oriented league without settling for its current popularity. To this end, we will select four key initiatives as follows, and all executives and employees will do their best.
First, I will expand my contact with fans through fan-friendly league operation.
Starting in 2025, Hwaseong will participate in the K-League, and 12 K-League 1 and 14 K-League 2 teams will join. As the K-League has the largest number of clubs and wide connections among Korean professional sports, we will make it easier for fans from all over the country to access the K-League and find the stadium.
In order to operate a fan-friendly league, we will always try to reach out to fans first and be loved through marketing that does not discriminate between online and offline and active local activities.
Second, I will work hard to foster youth and find prospects.
Last year, young players such as Park Seung-soo, Yoon Do-young and Kang Joo-hyuk, including Yang Min-hyuk, who won the K League 1 Young Player Award, were noticeable. I think this is the result of the K-League's long-standing youth development system, semi-professional contract system, and mandatory U22 participation regulations.
In the future, we will continue to advance the development system and actively carry out various international exchanges and educational projects so that youth players can grow in the best environment, so that they can contribute to K-League competitiveness.
Third, I will try to improve the brand value of the K League.
The K League has been working hard to create new revenue models and maximize the value of the K League through various marketing activities in recent years. This year, we will develop K-League intellectual property rights in the digital field and actively cooperate with other fields such as games and entertainment to enhance the marketability of the K-League in various ways.
Finally, we will further strengthen social responsibility and publicity.
The federation has steadily strengthened its social contribution activities since 2013, and established the Social Contribution Foundation 'K League Assistance' in 2023 to practice sharing through soccer more systematically. This year, we will take the lead in social contribution activities with all members of the K League.
We will continue to improve awareness of organ tissue donation by implementing the life sharing campaign, and continue to operate and expand programs that lower the threshold for soccer participation by the vulnerable, disabled, and women.
In addition, we will upgrade our eco-friendly policies in the league in line with the era of global tropicalization. To reduce carbon neutrality and greenhouse gases, we will implement systematic eco-friendly policies such as establishing a club environmental data management platform and expanding environmental education for league officials, and working to respond to the climate crisis through soccer.
To the soccer fans who love K League,
This year is the Year of the 乙巳, the Year of the Blue Snake. The blue snake is said to represent wisdom and change. I sincerely hope that you will also face change wisely and flexibly.
Happy New Year.
January 1, 2025
President of the Korea Professional Football Federation Kwon Oh-gap
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
