▲ Park Chan-ho speaks at a press conference for the strategic partnership between the investment consortium Team 61 and Major League Baseball club the Athletics (A's), held at Westin Seoul Parnas in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 27th.
"Becoming a Major League Baseball (MLB) team owner has been my long-cherished dream."
Korean Express Park Chan-ho, 53, shared his thoughts on investing in an MLB club to participate indirectly in its management.
Behind his investment in the Athletics—a team he never played for during his active career—lay a clear goal: a niche market with a "new home location" and the "nurturing of future generations."
Team 61, the investment consortium led by Park, formalized its strategic partnership with the Athletics in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 27th and explained the specific background regarding its stake acquisition in the club.
Team 61 has decided to invest a total of $70 million (approx. 102.7 billion won).
During the Q&A session, Park revealed that he will secure a stake of over 3% in the club.
He explained, "While it is not enough to secure managerial control, as a senior advisor, I will exert influence in scouting, pitcher development, and building a new fandom for the club."
He gave a candid response regarding the reason for choosing the Athletics as his investment destination.
Park confessed, "Personally, with the help of former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley, I had attempted to participate in equity investments in other clubs like the San Diego Padres. However, clubs with already solid fan bases found it difficult to share their stakes."
The breakthrough came with the Athletics' relocation of their home base.
Park explained, "When the Athletics announced they were moving their home to Las Vegas, I met them through my personal network. A team moving to Las Vegas had to build a completely new fan base. Furthermore, Las Vegas is a city closely tied to South Korea through tourism and promotions.
I actively persuaded them on why they should take 'Park Chan-ho' as a partner."
The Athletics are also paying close attention to the potential of the Korean market.
Athletics President Marc Badain, who was present at the event, shared his impressions of watching the game yesterday between the Doosan Bears and Samsung Lions at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in person, saying, "The passion of Korean baseball fans is something I want to benchmark, regardless of the sport. I want to bring that passion to the new Las Vegas stadium."
He added, "Naturally, if there is an opportunity, we want to play in Korea, and I believe inviting a KBO League team to Las Vegas is also possible. Our club scouts are currently in Korea. We have the acquisition of global talent in mind."
He also recalled conversations with KBO Commissioner Huh Koo-youn whom he met earlier this morning, and the new Las Vegas stadium scheduled for completion in 2028, introducing, "The KBO Commissioner was very interested in the facilities."
Park's ultimate goal is the birth of a Korean big leaguer wearing the Athletics uniform.
He expressed his anticipation, saying, "The fact that there are no Korean players in the Athletics yet feels like a mission to me. I envision once again seeing a Korean player wearing an Athletics cap and performing at the tremendous new stadium in Las Vegas—much like how I first started in the big leagues."
Hollywood actor Ken Jeong, who participated in the Team 61 consortium, drew laughter from the crowd with a witty remark, "It's not enough stake to have management control, but through my investment, I suppose I could have operating rights for a hot dog stand at the new stadium. I'm going to eat hot dogs until I burst."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.