It’s finally unsealed, and the owner is found. After winning the Korean Series (KS) for the first time in 29 years, the LG Twins held a ‘celebratory victory party’ on the 17th. It’s a long-standing tradition for the winning team. The venue was LG Science Park (Convergence Hall) in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. It is the home of the late LG Group founder and chairman Yu Ji-yoo, who loved the baseball team.
The official name of the event was “2023 KS Unified Championship Ceremony,” and it started around 3 p.m. and lasted more than an hour. More than 160 people, including the club’s chairman, Koo Kwang-mo (45), as well as the players, front office, club staff, and key executives of LG Group, gathered to share their emotions again.
A video of the victory celebration recreating the emotional moment was shown, the players were introduced, and the trophy was handed over. Head coach Yeom Kyung-yup (55) and captain Oh Ji-hwan (33) then expressed their gratitude. “The desperation of the players and the strong support of the owner, front office, and group employees made the unified championship possible,” said Coach Yeom. “We consider the unified championship a new beginning and vow to build a stronger and more prestigious club in the future.” 캡틴토토 도메인
The celebration culminated with the appearance of Awamori Shochu from Okinawa, Japan, which Chairman Koo had personally prepared in 1995 to “recreate the glory of the 1994 championship”. Amid cheers, Koo Kwang-mo and Cha Myung-seok (54) personally poured the nearly 30-year-old shochu and made a toast. “I don’t think I’ve ever received so many congratulations in my life,” said Chairman Koo Kwang-mo as he proposed the toast, “and I think our founding father, who is watching from heaven, is looking at this occasion with great joy.” “Our fans will no longer remember the number ‘1994’ but the number ‘2023’,” he said, adding, “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.” As Koo shouted “LG, the invincible” as a toast, the attendees responded with “Forever.”
The cheers grew louder during the presentation of a Rolex watch bequeathed by Chairman Koo. The watch was given to Koo in 1997, when he promised that “if we win the championship, I will present the most valuable player (MVP) with a high-end (Rolex) wristwatch”. The golden day-date model, now discontinued, reportedly cost more than 44 million won at the time.
Captain Oh Ji-hwan, who won the series MVP award after batting .316 with three home runs and eight RBIs in the KS, was the recipient. He received the watch from Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, put it on his left arm, and raised his arm in the air. “I think this watch is a relic of my predecessor,” he said, “and I want to display it for many people to see.” Chairman Koo Kwang-mo responded, “Thank you again for your kindness,” and said, “We will display it meaningfully under the name of ‘Korean Series MVP, Captain Oh Ji-hwan’.”
LG Baseball will expand the Love Giving Day, an annual post-season gathering of players and fans, to include an invitational event for fans to celebrate the championship early next month.
Leave a Reply