KBO Board’s strong vote of confidence... Heo Koo-youn on the verge of becoming the third chairman in history to serve three consecutive terms

[Financial News] The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) board has recommended incumbent chairman Heo Koo-youn as the sole candidate to lead the organization next, bringing the prospect of its third chairman in history to serve three consecutive terms within reach.
KBO officially announced that it held its fourth board meeting of 2026 on the 27th and voted to recommend incumbent chairman Heo Koo-youn to the general meeting as a candidate for its 26th chairman. According to KBO, the board considered Heo as the sole candidate that day and agreed to forward his candidacy for the next chairman to the general meeting after securing the support of at least three-quarters of the incumbent directors.
The ball is now in the hands of the general meeting, KBO’s highest decision-making body. Under Article 10 of KBO’s bylaws, if Heo receives votes in favor from at least three-quarters of the members at the general meeting, attended by each club’s owner, he will be elected as the 26th chairman and lead the KBO League again for three years starting in 2027.
This would mark a landmark bid for a long tenure by the first chairman to come from the baseball community. Heo, who played in the inaugural season of professional baseball, went on to manage the Chungbo Pintos and coach the Lotte Giants before becoming one of the country’s top baseball commentators. In March 2022, he became the first person from the baseball community to take the helm of KBO. Recognized for his characteristic drive and communication skills, he was unanimously re-elected at the general meeting in November 2023, securing a second consecutive term.
If he is smoothly confirmed at this general meeting and elected as the 26th chairman, Heo will go down in Korean professional baseball history as KBO’s third leader to serve three consecutive terms, following former chairman Park Yong-o, who served from the 12th to the 15th term, and former chairman Koo Bon-neung, who served from the 19th to the 21st.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter