Korea Exchange to Establish Professional Table Tennis Team... Signs MOU with Busan City for Team Launch

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Myunghwan] The Korea Exchange announced that it has finalized the establishment of a professional table tennis team based in Busan by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Busan Metropolitan City on the 20th.

Earlier, the Korea Exchange officially announced in May its intention to establish a professional table tennis team. The Korea Exchange plans to swiftly complete the practical tasks such as assembling the coaching staff and players, aiming to launch the team around the third quarter of this year.

Through this agreement, the Korea Exchange will establish and operate a Busan-based table tennis team, assembling an excellent roster of players. It will also strive to contribute to the local community by discovering and nurturing youth players, as well as engaging in talent donation and volunteer activities for the general public. Busan City promised administrative support related to the exclusive training facility, the Busan Table Tennis Gymnasium in Yeongdo-gu, during the team’s establishment process, along with active cooperation from government and related organizations.

At the signing ceremony, Sohn Byung-doo, Chairman of the Korea Exchange, stated, "We will support outstanding players to achieve excellent results on the world stage and establish a system for nurturing talented players from elementary, middle, and high schools to professional teams, laying the foundation to enhance the status of South Korea as a table tennis powerhouse and Busan as a table tennis leader."

Park Hyung-joon, Mayor of Busan, expressed his expectations, saying, "The establishment of the Korea Exchange’s professional table tennis team will provide many table tennis fans in Busan with opportunities to watch high-level matches and will greatly contribute to fostering local talent and revitalizing community sports. It will also play a significant role in the successful hosting of the 2024 Busan World Table Tennis Championships."

Yoo Nam-kyu, appointed as the inaugural head coach of the Korea Exchange table tennis team, said, "I want to leverage my experience as a player and my coaching capabilities to build an excellent team. I will also do my best to serve as a close regional integration channel with the citizens of Busan."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.