The 'Lost Decade' Is Over: Baseball's V9 Sparks a Unified Awakening Across Samsung's 'World-Class' Sports Teams

[Financial News] They have finally emerged from a long, dark tunnel. As the Samsung Lions reclaimed the Korean Series (KS) title for the first time in 12 years, the entire Samsung sports group, which endured the long dark days of the 'Cheil Worldwide era,' is stretching its legs for a full-fledged comeback.
The Samsung Lions routed kt wiz 12-1 in Game 5 of the 2026 Korean Series at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 8th, lifting the long-awaited trophy for their ninth championship (V9) with a 4-1 series record. Starting out in second place in the regular season, they turned around in spectacular fashion the harsh assessment that they were the weaker team on paper, claiming a perfect upset victory.
Their victory means more than a triumph for a baseball team: it puts an end to the 'Lost Decade' that weighed on the entire Samsung sports group. From 2011 to 2014, the Samsung Lions won four consecutive combined titles, establishing an unrivaled dynasty in the KBO League. But after the group began cutting investment in its sports teams, all of its professional sports clubs were transferred from their flagship affiliates to Cheil Worldwide, an advertising and marketing company, and circumstances changed dramatically.


As cost efficiency and profitability became top priorities, the generous spending that once led the sports industry disappeared. To make matters worse, the state affairs manipulation scandal further weakened support for sports at the group level. In its wake, once-dominant clubs across baseball (the Lions), soccer (Suwon Samsung Bluewings), basketball (Seoul Samsung Thunders) and volleyball (Samsung Fire Bluefangs) all went into a steep decline and languished near the bottom of their leagues.
But this year was different. The Samsung Lions made a bold move with targeted investment. They made a decisive signing of Chris Paddack, who has 32 career wins in Major League Baseball (MLB), and brought free agent (FA) Choi Hyoung-woo back after nine years to add power to their underpowered left-handed lineup. Those bold decisions broke the logjam and restored the team to the summit.
The fireworks celebrating the baseball team's championship became a powerful signal of the transformation of the entire Samsung sports group.



Suwon Samsung, a storied club led by Lee Jung-hyo, one of the K League's top tacticians, put the humiliation of relegation to the second division behind it and confirmed its return to K League 1 on the 8th, after three years. Seoul Samsung Thunders, the men's basketball team that finished last for five consecutive seasons through last season, has also caused a major sensation since being reorganized under coach Kim Sang-sik: it set a KBL record with nine straight wins to open the season and is racing ahead as the outright leader at 10-2.
Samsung Fire Bluefangs, the men's volleyball team newly led by renowned coach Tommi Tiilikainen, is also leaving behind the dark history of missing the 'spring volleyball' postseason for eight straight years. With markedly improved play early in the 2026-2027 season, the team is raising hopes of restoring its former stature.
The Samsung sports group was trapped by a focus on efficiency and forced to endure a slump. But with the Lions roaring, the mighty heart of the 'world-class powerhouse' that once dominated sports in the Republic of Korea has begun beating strongly again.


[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter