Hanwha and Samsung Face Off in Playoff Opener in Daejeon Today
Three-Way Race Takes Shape as LG Advances Directly to Korean Series
Business Circles Focus on Group Chairmen Visiting the Ballpark
Owner Appearances Seen as Symbolic Corporate Moves
12 Million Spectators Signal Box Office Success and Heightened Publicity Effects
As the 2025 fall baseball season kicks off, the business community is turning its attention to the so-called "owner effect." There is precedent for this: two years ago, LG maximized its corporate publicity by having Chairman Kwangmo Koo support the team on-site at the Korean Series and ultimately win the championship. This year, there is growing interest in how the actions of major groups such as LG, Samsung, and Hanwha during the postseason might generate similar ripple effects.
Seungyeon Kim, chairman of Hanwha Group, visited Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on the 3rd to watch the Korean professional baseball KBO League game between Hanwha Eagles and NC Dinos together with executives and employees. Hanwha
All three teams have drawn attention from the business world this year, not only due to the fluctuations in their core businesses but also because of expanded investments in the United States and increased global cooperation. As the industry undergoes significant changes, the moves made by these companies are garnering attention alongside the excitement on the baseball field.
The starting point is the first game of the playoffs, which will be held at Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon on October 17. Hanwha will face Samsung. LG, having secured first place in the regular season, has advanced directly to the Korean Series. Hanwha has returned to fall baseball for the first time in seven years, while Samsung is back in the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
Industry insiders are calling this year "the season where baseball and industry overlap." When group chairmen visit the stadium, it is seen not merely as support for the team but as a symbolic act for the company. Although official schedules have not been made public, it is reported that all three groups are internally preparing for their leaders to visit the games in person.
Seungyeon Kim, Chairman of Hanwha Group, is most likely to make an appearance first among the three. Having served as the owner of the Hanwha baseball team for 40 years since its founding in 1986, he has experienced the team's ups and downs. This year, Hanwha secured a direct ticket to the playoffs by finishing second in the regular season, returning to the postseason stage he had longed for over the past seven years. In July, Chairman Kim encouraged the team by watching a game against NC alongside more than 700 executives and employees for over four hours.
Attention is also focused on whether Chairman Lee Jae-yong of Samsung will make a return to the stadium. He last attended a game in person at Daegu Citizens Baseball Stadium during the 2015 Korean Series, but has not visited in the ten years since. Within and outside the group, there is speculation that "if Samsung beats Hanwha and advances to the Korean Series, Chairman Lee is highly likely to attend in person." This is interpreted as a "symbol of a new leap forward," coinciding with the recovery of the memory semiconductor and bio businesses.
In May 2015, Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics (right), is watching the regular league game between Samsung and Doosan at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul. On the left is Hong Ra-hee, Director of the Leeum Museum of Art. Photo by Yonhap News
LG Group Chairman Koo Kwangmo is watching the game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, where the first game of the 2023 KBO Korean Series between KT Wiz and LG Twins is taking place in November 2023. Photo by Yonhap News
LG has already secured its place in the Korean Series. Chairman Kwangmo Koo drew attention last year by wearing a signature jumper and watching the Korean Series from the stands. This year, he is also likely to cheer on the team in person to continue the "winning formula."
The on-site presence of corporate leaders goes beyond exposure within the stadium and contributes to enhancing the group’s image. The postseason, with its concentrated broadcasting and advertising, is a time when companies can directly showcase their brand value. An industry official commented, "The popularity of professional baseball is an opportunity to increase a company's social presence and consumer affinity," adding, "The participation of business leaders itself carries significant symbolic meaning."
This year, professional baseball surpassed 12 million cumulative spectators for the first time in the 44-year history of the league. Hyundai Research Institute analyzed that the annual production inducement effect amounts to 1.14 trillion won, with value-added inducement reaching 460 billion won. The league has thus grown into a massive ecosystem involving industry, regional economies, and fan communities.
For the first game, both Hanwha and Samsung will start with their foreign ace pitchers. Hanwha has named Cody Ponce, who recorded 17 wins, 1 loss, and an ERA of 1.89 in the regular season, while Samsung will start Herisson Garabito, who posted an ERA of 2.64 this season. Historically, the team that wins the first game of the playoffs has over a 70% chance of advancing to the Korean Series.
An industry official noted, "In 2023, LG maximized its corporate publicity revenue for the year thanks to Chairman Kwangmo Koo’s on-site support and the team’s championship win," adding, "This year’s on-site presence could have an even greater impact."
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