Actor-turned-baseball administrator Kim Seung-woo (56), chairman of the Korea Little Baseball Federation, expressed his strong will to step up for Korean baseball.
After the inauguration ceremony for the chairman of the Korea Little Baseball Association held at Hwaseong Dream Park in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province on Thursday, Chairman Kim Seung-woo said, "There are homework assignments that baseball players have not been able to solve so far. I don't think baseball players have to solve problems on their own."메이저놀이터
In December last year, Kim won 86 out of 153 votes, beating Yoo Seung-an (69), a former chairman of the 7th Korea Little League. Kim will lead Little Baseball for four years from January 1, 2025 to 2028. Since Kim was known only as an actor who likes baseball, such a result was somewhat surprising. However, Kim also became involved with the baseball community since 2005 when he played for the Playboyz, an entertainer's baseball team, as an MC, and his affection for Little Baseball eventually led to his election victory. "Little Baseball is the foundation of Korean baseball. I had a lot of interest in it before, and I wanted to work hard on the gemstones for the international competitiveness of Korean baseball," he said.
His major pledges stole the hearts of voters. In particular, the expansion of sponsorships and transparent financial management are eye-catching. The excessively expensive cost of "Little Baseball" came as a huge burden to parents and young students. Excessive private education, which started at an early age, has negatively affected the sports industry itself by raising barriers to entry into baseball.
"Little Baseball is unexpectedly the place that costs the most in Korean amateur baseball," a baseball source said. "In Little Baseball, the manager has to make a profit. When a coach runs a lesson hall and gives lessons to players on his team, 12-and-a-half-year-olds sometimes pay up to 2.5 million won a month. It is questionable whether such education is appropriate for children in a time when they lack basic skills."
The main reason is that the Little League, which will be funded by each team, has weak finances. If it can attract diverse investments and distribute them appropriately, it will greatly ease the burden on students and their parents. Analysts say that Kim, who was a non-baseball player, can show strength in this regard. Since January 2, the first day of his term in office, Kim has traveled to many places to attract sponsors, and on the same day, he met with Hwaseong Mayor early in the morning.
In addition, the issue of dual registration of Little Baseball players in their first year of middle school was also one of the pending issues to be resolved. This is due to the difference in the system between Korea, where the new semester begins in March, and the United States, which begins in September, and has rarely been able to answer due to the issue of membership fees during the period from March to August.
Chairman Kim Seung-woo said, "We are a member organization of the World Little Baseball Federation, and the World Federation is based on the beginning of September and we are in March. For this reason, we have no choice but to double-register Little Baseball and Middle School Baseball from March to August. At least during my term in office, I will make sure to institutionalize and document it so that no problems arise."
"I only included things that have the potential to be realized as a pledge. My goal is to make a 100% implementation rate so that my pledge can become an official promise rather than an empty promise during my term in office," he said. "There are homework assignments that baseball players have not been able to solve so far, including dual registration. I don't think baseball players have to solve problems on their own. I will also try to ease the burden on parents by asking people around me by mobilizing the networks I have built up so far."
"A boy who loves baseball has reached the middle age and is now in a position to help young baseball players. If many people help him, his status will be slightly upgraded. When I leave four years later, I want to hear 'Chairman Kim Seung-woo did a good job' and leave with applause. Please continue to show your interest and support in Little Baseball," he said.