Baseball’s Korean Series (KS) champions, the LG Twins, celebrated their first KS title in 29 years by “unsealing” long-stored congratulatory liquor and luxury watches at a victory ceremony.
The baseball team, which won the KS for the third time this year after the 1990 and 1994 championships, held the “2023 Unified Victory Celebration” on Sunday at the Convergence Hall at LG Science Park in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. A total of 160 people, including the team’s owner, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo (45), players and front office staff, attended the event to share their joy. The event started around 3 p.m. and lasted about an hour.
LG screened a congratulatory video, introduced the team, handed over the trophy, and thanked the team by head coach Yeom Kyung-yup (55) and captain Oh Ji-hwan (33). The celebration culminated with the appearance of Awamori Shochu from Okinawa, Japan, which the late Chairman Koo Bon-moo personally arranged in 1995 to “recreate the glory of the 1994 championship.”
Koo and LG CEO Cha Myung-seok (54) personally poured the nearly 30-year-old shochu and toasted the attendees. “I don’t think I’ve ever received so many congratulations in my life,” said Chairman Koo, who later offered a toast, “and I’m sure our founding father (Koo Bon-moo) is looking on from heaven with great joy.” 먹튀검증토토사이트 “Our fans will no longer remember the number ‘1994’ but the number ‘2023’,” he said, “and I hope that the proud members of today will be remembered forever in the hearts of our fans as we increase the number of such joys.”
The ceremony also included the presentation of a Rolex watch bequeathed by Mr. Koo.
“If we win the championship, I will give the most valuable player (MVP) a high-end (Rolex) wristwatch,” Koo promised at a club social event in 1997. The watch, a golden day-date model that has since been discontinued, reportedly cost more than 44 million won at the time.
After receiving the watch from Koo, Oh, who was named the KS MVP after hitting .316 with three home runs and eight RBIs in the KS, flashed his watch-wearing left arm and smiled. “I think this watch is a relic of the previous chairman,” he said, “and I hope to display it for many people to see.” Chairman Koo responded, “Thank you again for the captain’s kindness,” and said, “We will display it meaningfully under the name of ‘Korean Series MVP, Captain Oh Ji-hwan.'”
“With the desperation of the players and the strong support of the owner, front office, and group employees, we were able to win the unified championship,” said Yeom, who led the team to victory and released the 29-year-old Han. “I think the unified championship is a new beginning, and I will build a stronger prestigious club in the future.” Coach Yeom has experienced championships as a player and manager, but this is the first time he has reached the top of KS as a manager.