Published : Feb. 21, 2013 - 19:13
Kwon Oh-gap, the chief executive of the local oil refiner Hyundai Oilbank, was named Thursday as the new commissioner of the K League.
Kwon, 62, will serve as the pro soccer chief for three years.
He succeeds Chung Mong-gyu, who stepped down last month with one year left in his term and later became the new chairman of the Korea Football Association, the sport’s national governing body.
Kwon had been serving as the commissioner of the Korea National League, which governs semi-pro football, since 2009. He was the general manager of the Ulsan Hyundai Tigers, a first-division club, from 2004 to 2009.
Kwon Oh-gap speaks after being named the new commissioner of the K League. (Yonhap News)
The K League convened a general meeting on Thursday with 23 of its 24 delegates in attendance to elect the new commissioner. After Kwon was nominated for the post at the start of the meeting, the 23 delegates unanimously named him the new chief.
Hyundai Oilbank, the country’s fourth-largest old refiner, served as the K League’s title sponsor in 2011 and 2012.
Professional soccer is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2013.
The league earlier this year unveiled new logos and new names for different divisions. The top-flight league will be called the K League Classic.
Kwon said he hopes to see “sellout crowds” during his tenure.
K League Classic games in 2012 averaged 7,157 fans per game, down over 33 percent from 10,709 in 2011. (Yonhap News)