KOREAN PLAYERS MOVING TO FORM UNION

After being rebuffed numerous times to meet with Korea Baseball Organization upper management and teams, players in South Korea are moving forward with plans to form a union. Korea Professional Baseball Players Association president Min-han Son announced the plan at a recent press conference in Seoul. Son pitches for the Lotte Giants. The players association was formed ten years ago, but has never acted as a collective bargaining unit with KBO teams.

Predictably, the KBO has objected. League spokesman Jin-hyung Lee told The Korea Times, “The clubs are making a deficit. If we make a profit, we can have a dialogue with them.” Another unnamed KBO spokesman said, “Professional baseball players are not workers, but individual businessmen…Individual businessmen cannot make a union.” Son replied, “Our legal support team confirmed that to form a union is not against the law.”

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions says it will support a players union.

SEARCH FOR NEW KOREAN COMMISH IN LIMBO

The search for a new Korea Baseball Organization commissioner is being postponed until early 2009. Seven KBO team presidents met last week and decided to put the selection process on hold, according to league secretary general Hal Il-sung, who is acting as commissioner while the search is underway.
Former commissioner Shin Sang-woo resigned earlier this month after less than three years on the job. Shin’s contract was due to expire in March of 2009. Originally, the KBO offered the commissioner’s post to Yoo Young-koo, who is vice chairman of the Korea Sports Council. However, Yoo pulled his name from consideration just prior to a meeting in which he was expected to be approved for the commissioner’s post. Two former political figures with Korea’s Grand National Party, Park Chong-ung and Kang Jae-sup, have been mentioned as possible candidates.Since the KBO was established in 1982, the league has had ten commissioners, nine of whom were figures linked to politics and many involved in scandals.