Gwangju City Secures Home Base for Pepper Women's Professional Volleyball Team... Agreement Signed

Mayor Lee Yong-seop: "Gwangju Citizens Will Run Together with the Volleyball Team as the Seventh Player"

Matthew Jang, CEO of Pepper Savings Bank, Donates 100 Million Won to Foster Volleyball Talent

On the afternoon of the 13th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, took a commemorative photo with club owner Matthew Jang and officials after signing an agreement to attract the home base following the establishment of the Pepper Savings Bank Women's Professional Volleyball Team in the city hall business room. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City has succeeded in attracting a women's professional volleyball team.

On the 13th, Gwangju announced that the Australian financial company Pepper Savings Bank established a women's professional volleyball team (hereinafter referred to as the Pepper Volleyball Team) and signed a hometown agreement.

At the signing ceremony, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, and Matthew Jang, CEO of Pepper Savings Bank, attended and signed the agreement.

Also present were Kim Yong-jip, Chairman of the Gwangju City Council, who had supported the hometown attraction, and local volleyball officials, who cheered the start of the newly established women's volleyball team after 10 years.

Mayor Lee said, "Professional sports are determined by the performance of players and the hometown spirit united by fans," adding, "We will actively support Pepper Savings Bank to soar vigorously based on the energy of Gwangju."

CEO Jang said, "Moved by the passionate desire of Gwangju volleyball fans and the enthusiastic support of Mayor Lee Yong-seop and many others, we decided to make Gwangju our hometown," adding, "Based on Gwangju's excellent local volleyball foundation, we will actively support youth volleyball teams and expand our business in Gwangju, the volleyball hometown, leading job creation."

Gwangju's success in attracting the Pepper Volleyball Team was a joint achievement born from Gwangju's meticulous strategy, prepared infrastructure, and the community's earnest desire.

In particular, as soon as Pepper Savings Bank submitted a letter of intent to establish a women's volleyball team to the Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) in March, Gwangju quickly moved to attract the hometown team.

After submitting a letter of intent to attract the hometown team to the Korea Volleyball Federation on the 1st of last month, Gwangju formed an attraction promotion team on the 8th, led by Jo In-cheol, Deputy Mayor of Culture and Economy, including Kim Jun-young, Director of Culture, Tourism and Sports, Jeong Soon-ae, Vice Chairman of Gwangju City Council, Jeon Gap-su, President of Gwangju Volleyball Association, and Kim Min-chul, Professor of Sports Industry at Chosun University, to carry out comprehensive attraction activities.

Gwangju emphasized the activation and expansion of recreational volleyball and the citizens' passionate desire for attraction. Currently, 90 recreational volleyball teams are operating, and about 120 professional players are active in elementary, middle, high school, and corporate teams.

Additionally, Gwangju highlighted its infrastructure advantages, such as the remodeled Yeomju Sports Complex dedicated to volleyball and the Bitgoeul Gymnasium, which can be used as an auxiliary stadium. It also emphasized Pepper Savings Bank’s close ties to the community through its branches in Gwangju and Jeonju.

In particular, Mayor Lee Yong-seop said, "We will create a sports city where citizens enjoy baseball and soccer in spring, summer, and fall, and volleyball in winter," personally meeting with the CEO of Pepper Savings Bank and leading the attraction campaign on the ground.

With the attraction of the Pepper Volleyball Team, Gwangju has solved the long-standing issue of the "lack of winter sports." Especially as women's volleyball has recently emerged as a popular sport, Gwangju has secured a new driving force for sports revitalization.

Meanwhile, CEO Matthew Jang donated 100 million won as a sponsorship fund to nurture local volleyball talent, commemorating the agreement and promising a strong leap forward with Gwangju.