Home > Sports > Baseball

Teamless no more: Ulsan joins baseball world with citizen-owned farm club

Published: 22 Oct. 2025, 15:31

Munsu Baseball Stadium in Nam District, Ulsan [ULSAN PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT]

Ulsan, the only metropolitan city in Korea without a professional baseball team, is breaking new ground by launching a citizen-owned team to join the KBO’s Futures League — the country's professional second-tier baseball league. It marks the first time a local government has established its own pro baseball team.

Ulsan Mayor Kim Doo-gyeom announced Tuesday that the city has received approval from the KBO to join the Futures League and plans to complete its roster, including coaching staff and players, by the end of the year. The team is expected to begin play in the 2026 regular season starting in March.

The new Ulsan team will include about 35 players and a total staff of around 50, including coaches and front office personnel, according to the city on Wednesday. The city said it will not simply fill out the roster but assemble a competitive squad capable of contending for a title in its inaugural season.

“To secure competitiveness from the outset, we are recruiting top-tier coaches and foreign players,” a city official said. “The KBO has also agreed to allow foreign players on the new team to help ensure performance stability.”

Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium has been designated as the team’s home ground. The city has allocated between 5 billion and 6 billion won ($3.5 million to $4.2 million) for the team’s launch and first year of operations. It plans to fully fund the team for the first three years, after which it will shift to a sustainable citizen- and corporate-backed model through a public-private partnership.

Discussions about launching a pro baseball team in Ulsan began shortly after Mayor Kim took office in early 2023. Since then, he has worked closely with KBO Commissioner Heo Koo-youn, co-hosting the “Ulsan–KBO Fall League” in 2024 and 2025 as part of preparations. In April 2026, the city plans to sign an MOU for a baseball hub city project aimed at establishing a complete baseball ecosystem that includes youth development and community sports.

Munsu Baseball Stadium in Nam District, Ulsan [ULSAN PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT]

Although Ulsan currently has no KBO first-division team, it has hosted select Lotte Giants home games at Munsu Baseball Stadium, which consistently sells out — a testament to the city’s passionate fan base.

Ulsan also plans to expand the stadium’s seating capacity to 20,000 and build a youth hostel nearby with 82 rooms to accommodate 300 people. These upgrades are aimed at maximizing the stadium’s utility for spring training and youth development leagues.

“In the era of 12 million professional baseball fans, Ulsan must move from the periphery to the center of the game,” Mayor Kim said. “Through the launch of the citizen team, we aim to boost residents’ leisure opportunities, stimulate the local economy and elevate Ulsan’s brand as a ‘fun city.’”

The Futures League currently consists of 11 teams, including the second squads of all 10 KBO clubs and the military’s Sangmu team. With Ulsan’s new addition, the league will expand to 12 teams in 2025.

Ulsan City and the KBO plan to hold a joint press conference on Nov. 5 to unveil the team’s official name, roster plans and other launch details.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM YOUN-HO [[email protected]]