Professional basketball team Goyang Day One players and fans stand in front of the National Assembly.
Day One captain Kim Kang-sun, along with fans Jeon Sung-hyun, Lee Jung-hyun, and Han Ho-bin, attended a press conference on Thursday afternoon at the National Assembly Communication Center in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, regarding the team’s unpaid wages.
They were joined by Representatives Hong Jung-min and Han Jun-ho, who represent Goyang-si, and Representatives Lim Jong-sung and Lee Byung-hoon of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee.
“Please transparently disclose all the minutes, criteria, evaluation items, and evidence of the KBL board of directors that approved the acquisition of the Orion team by an insolvent company called Day One Sports, which could not even pay the subscription fee in time to the extent that the acquisition of the soccer team was rejected due to insufficient points,” they demanded in a statement.
Day One was founded after the end of the 2021-2022 season when the Goyang Orion was acquired by Day One Sports, a corporation whose parent company is Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. The team started the 2022-2023 season as the Goyang Carot Jumper, with Carot Insurance as the naming sponsor.
However, the naming rights agreement ended in late March, midway through the season, and the team was renamed the Goyang Day One after the season ended.
The team faced financial difficulties throughout the season, including a late registration fee before the start of the 2022-2023 season and continued delays in paying its players’ salaries.
Despite the financial difficulties, the team finished fifth in the regular season and made the playoffs in 2022-2023, but the team still hasn’t resolved its player salaries.
“We urge the KBL to take responsibility and pay the salaries using the 1.5 billion won ($1.5 million) in subscription fees and broadcasting revenue received from Day One,” they said in a statement, adding, “If the wage arrears are not resolved by the 15th, please recognize the free agent (FA) status by complying with the standard contract items of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.”
“If a player is not signed within the period, please draft them to another team under the terms of their current contract so that no player retires due to this situation,” he said. “Please make an exception to the salary cap that was maintained for 10 clubs so that it does not apply in the current situation.”
“We also ask for a plan to deal with the cost of selling tickets to games under the title of lifetime membership,” he added.
They urged the KBL to take a proactive approach.
“It was approved by the board of directors of each club,” he said, “and we expect everyone to take responsibility and take an active attitude to resolve the situation, as well as a system and follow-up for players.”
“I didn’t get paid for four to five months, so I had to buy my own shoes and eat my own meals,” said Kim Kang-sun, a captain who had no player’s association but stood on his feet thanks to the fans. “The rent provided by the club was also late. Even players who are preparing to get married are having a hard time because they don’t have money.” 안전놀이터
“The club kept telling us that the money was coming in, so we had no choice but to wait,” he said, adding that managers and coaches were also not paid.
When asked if the communication channel with the club had been cut off, he said, “There is no such thing.”
A basketball fan representative from Goyang City, who also attended the press conference, said, “We asked the KBL to release the minutes of the meeting that approved the acquisition of Day One Sports, but we were told that we did not receive any answers.” “We asked two or three times through the National Assembly,” he said.
“The KBL must solve this problem because it must protect the players,” he said, emphasizing, “I want to see happy basketball in Goyang, but if they have to relocate, I hope they can find a way so that the players can enjoy basketball.”
Representative Lee Yong-woo said, “It’s something that the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism should thoroughly consider and be interested in.” “If we just ignore it, other sports will also have problems. It is an important issue that needs to be resolved well.”
In response, Rep. Lee Byung-hoon said, “We will look at the standard contract and wage arrears as a whole so that we can focus on it in the state inspection of standing committees such as the Culture Committee.”
The KBL will hold a general meeting on the morning of the 16th at the KBL Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to decide whether or not to retain Day One’s membership in the KBL.
If NAVER fails to resolve its debts by the 15th, it will most likely be expelled from the organization.