Jeju SK to start anew...CEO Koo Chang-yong said, "2025 will take a leap forward."

Jeju SK to start anew...CEO Koo Chang-yong said, "2025 will take a leap forward."

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"I promise my fans every year that I can play in the AFC Champions League. If I have a chance, I hope I can draw my dream of becoming a club World Cup player. I want to become a pride of Jeju and let the world know about the beautiful island of Jeju."

Koo Chang-yong, CEO of Jeju SK, who will start 2025 anew, is also working on the season with a new mindset. Cookie News met with Koo in Seogwipo, Jeju in March to hear about the team's future plans and goals for the 2025 season.

The team name of Jeju is "Jeju SK," not "Jeju United" from this season. The decision was made to inherit the club identity and strengthen social responsibility through solidarity between Jeju and SK. "It's been 20 years since I came to Jeju. I want to play happy soccer to the fans and provincial residents under the name of SK," Koo said.

Koo's "communicative leadership" is always a hot topic in Jeju. Koo greets fans in front of the gate at every home game. Sometimes, he hears complaints from fans in person and seeks ways to improve the situation. "There must be many reasons why professional soccer exists, but the key is the fans. They take care of Jeju soccer even when they are financially burdened," Koo said. "I thought communication with the fans was essential," he said with a smile. "The fans come without hesitation and greet me and criticize me. These days, I often give them suggestions myself."

Jeju is taking the lead in spreading ESG (environmental, social, and governance) values through sports. Every year, it released eco-friendly third-uniforms with designs of Jeju's symbols, and joined hands with the Jeju Provincial Office of Education and Nexon for the development of Jeju sports. Another interesting thing is that the soccer team won the Minister of Employment and Labor Award for hosting the "Social Enterprise Fair" at the soccer field. CEO Koo, who wanted to shed light on Jeju's unique culture, added, "The haenyeo class has aged. I want to be interested in the culture of haenyeo and help them even a little bit."

Jeju SK is trying new marketing in line with the direction of Koo, who wants to pursue change, innovation, and fearless challenges. Last season, it made headlines by hosting "Mung Meng Day," the first K-League event where you can spend time with your dog. It also hosted "Black Korean Beef Livestock Fair" and "Fisheries & Food Discount Exhibition" to revitalize the local economy by linking home games with local festivals.

CEO Koo said, "This is an example of Jeju SK leading the way and running a local festival. I could enjoy the festival and watch soccer. "This was an opportunity to promote Jeju's specialty products to our visiting fans," he said. "We were able to increase profits and increase our fandom and audience. I was touched by the preparation process of our staff. We will continue to make progress this year."

"Last year, we held 'Mung Meng Day' where you can watch soccer with your dog. This season, we want to try marketing with the concept of 'neutral seat'," he said. "I hope that soccer fans can enjoy soccer more comfortably by providing a place for two people wearing Jeju uniforms and other team uniforms to enjoy together. It will be a perfect policy for Jeju, where there are many tourists as well as soccer fans."

Creating a "sustainable Jeju" is Koo's biggest goal. "It is hard to say that the structure of Korean professional football has been stabilized yet. After all, securing self-sustainability is the biggest challenge," Koo said. "We need to invite a lot of fans and get encouraged by them to attract sponsors. Not only should we realize broadcast rights, but we also need to support marketing that can help the club become self-reliant."

CEO Koo intends to refer to the youth systems of advanced European soccer such as Spain's La Liga and the English Premier League and reflect them in the team's operation. CEO Koo, who said, "We are trying to form a young and energetic team that everyone thinks of," pointed out, "In the newly remodeled youth system, I hope youth players will grow into key resources of Jeju SK. Shouldn't we create a virtuous cycle structure, such as moving to major teams?"

He also gave valuable advice to the developing K-League. Referring to the "one-plus-two relegation system for 12 teams," Koo said, "There are areas where the league is successful as it competes for the championship until the end. However, you cannot challenge for the championship every time. Sometimes it is necessary to rebuild the team and change the generation, but it is not easy to do so under the current promotion system. If you don't get an immediate result, you will look at it more realistically than investing for the future," he stressed. "Excessive competition for promotion is a factor that needs to be improved when it comes to sustainable investment. Even if you try to invest in the future, fans' concerns and the club's concerns about relegation are a big burden. I hope it will ease that part."

"If the promotion system is eased, we can develop the youth system," Koo said. "Even if the leaders lose, they will be able to play fun soccer that they can understand," he said. "It is hard to establish 'Don't get demoted and have fun soccer'." 먹튀검증

Finally, Koo expressed his gratitude to Jeju fans who are going far away to support them. "They are always flying over to the land for an away game for 100 to 150 minutes. I am thinking about how to serve them well. They are so grateful," he said. "I really want to advance to the ACL for the sake of my fans. It is my wish to go to Japan and the Middle East with my fans who love Jeju and achieve bigger dreams."