Sono International, Men's Basketball Team Set to Relocate to Goyang City

After Submitting Letter of Intent to KBL
Weighing Options with Busan Ends in Tentative Conclusion
Announcement Expected After Final Approval

Sono International, selected as a candidate company for the 10th team of the Korean Basketball League (KBL), has reportedly decided to establish the new team’s home base in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, as of the 12th.

A view of Sono Calm Goyang operated by Sono Hotel & Resort. The distance to Goyang Gymnasium, expected to be used as the home stadium when the men's basketball team is established, is only about 2 km.
[Photo by Sono Hotel & Resort]

According to a compilation of reports by Asia Economy, Sono International, the holding company of Daemyung Sono Group, is strongly considering Goyang City as the home base for the newly forming men’s basketball team. Initially, Sono weighed options between Busan City and Goyang City for the team’s location but has recently settled on the latter.

This internal consensus is said to have been significantly influenced by the presence of SonoCalm, a property operated by Sono Hotels & Resorts in Goyang City. It is understood that choosing Goyang as the home base would maximize promotional effects for the group’s core hotel and resort business.

Previously, Sono International submitted a letter of intent to the KBL and completed the formation of a men’s basketball team founding task force (TF) on the 6th, led by Executive Director of Sports Business Lee Ki-wan. The remaining steps include officially submitting documents for new membership to the KBL by the 14th and receiving approval from the KBL board and general meeting on the 21st. The announcement of the home base is expected to take place after the final approval by the KBL.

Seojunhyuk, Chairman of Daemyung Sono Group.
[Photo by Daemyung Sono Group]

Sono International’s decision to launch a professional basketball team is reportedly driven by the expectation that it will aid corporate promotion. In 2019, Daemyung Sono Group changed its brand name, which was familiar as Daemyung, to 'Sono,' an Italian word meaning utopia. Sono International expects that operating a sports team will help replace the familiar 'Daemyung' brand with the new 'Sono' brand in the minds of consumers.

Chairman Seo Jun-hyuk of Sono Group is also said to have expressed a positive attitude toward founding a professional sports team. During his studies at the University of Minnesota, Seo was fascinated by American professional sports and has long desired to operate a sports team. Sono International founded the Daemyung Killer Whales ice hockey team in 2016 and maintained it for five years, but disbanded it in 2021 due to worsening financial difficulties caused by COVID-19.

Daemyung Sono Group, which started as Daemyung Construction in 1979, now oversees 26 domestic and international affiliates in sectors including hotels, distribution, and dining. Sono International, recognized as a leading company in the domestic resort industry, serves 12 million visitors annually across 18 domestic and overseas locations. Last year, it recorded consolidated sales of 926.1 billion KRW and an operating profit of 157.5 billion KRW.

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