KBO picks Heesung’s Koo as its new commissioner

Koo Bon-neung

The Korea Baseball Organization announced yesterday that Koo Bon-neung, chairman of Heesung Group and younger brother of LG Group chairman Koo Bon-moo, will be appointed its new commissioner.

At its headquarters in Seoul, the KBO had a board meeting and unanimously selected the 62-year-old as its commissioner. The KBO will officially appoint Koo as its head after club owners meet this week and report to Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The KBO hasn’t had a leader since early May, when former commissioner You Young-koo resigned after charges of embezzlement and breach of trust. Koo will serve the remainder of You’s term, until Dec. 31, but it is highly expected he will be reelected as commissioner and serve three more years.

Koo will be the third leader in history to be elected by KBO board members and team owners, following Park Yong-oh, who served the 12th, 13th and 14th terms as KBO commissioner and You, who served the 17th and 18th terms.

Koo is known to be an avid baseball fan and even held a photo exhibition in 2005 with his collection of some 120,000 baseball images.

[kjoo@joongang.co.kr]