Public Debate Amidst Success: What Lies Ahead for Ulsan Whales?

[Anchor]

The citizen-owned baseball team Ulsan Whales has surpassed 50,000 cumulative spectators just five months after its founding, marking an unprecedented success in the Futures League. Amidst this, Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-wook has drawn attention by announcing that he intends to go through a public deliberation process regarding the club's operation.

UBC reporter Kim Young-hwan has the story.

[Reporter]

The citizen-owned baseball team Ulsan Whales was founded in February of this year.

Five months since its inception, the team has surpassed 50,000 cumulative spectators, maintaining a level of popularity rarely seen in the Futures League.

Against this backdrop, Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-wook stated that while the city will do its best to support the team's current operations, it will undergo a public deliberation process in the future regarding how the club should be managed.

[Interview] Kim Sang-wook / Mayor of Ulsan (July 3, Live 052): "We plan to go through a public deliberation process around the time the contract period ends. It is being operated with taxpayers' money. There is also a question mark over whether it is actually helping the baseball ecosystem in Ulsan."

The Ulsan Sports Council is responsible for operating the Whales, and the city of Ulsan provides 6 billion won in annual funding.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the club's founding, signed with the KBO last year, does not specify a contract duration and states that the agreement remains in effect unless there is a separate consultation.

Because of this, attention is focused on what specific point in time Mayor Kim is referring to as the "end of the contract period."

The Sports Industry Promotion Act stipulates that local governments can invest in or provide operating expenses for the founding of professional sports teams to promote the industry.

Ulsan's ordinance on sports promotion also explicitly allows for the support of the founding and operating costs of professional sports teams.

The KBO is currently conducting an open call for local governments wishing to establish new Futures League teams to expand the base of baseball, and some local governments have even visited Ulsan for benchmarking.

[Interview] KBO Official: "There was a need for regional economic revitalization through the Futures League and baseball, and since the Ulsan Whales are having a positive impact..."

As the Ulsan Whales continue their successful run in their inaugural year, all eyes are on how the discussions surrounding the club's future direction will unfold.

Reported by Kim Young-hwan | Video by Kim Young-gwan (UBC) | Graphics by Koo Jung-eun (UBC)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.