KOVO said it made the appointment at a board meeting and extraordinary general meeting held on the 28th at its conference room in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul.
Team general managers had agreed at a meeting on the 18th to recommend Lee as the next president, and he accepted. His three-year term begins in July.
KOVO said Lee was recommended for his strong willingness to lead the federation and for advantages as an owner of a club. It said having an owner serve as president was viewed as enabling more stable, long-term planning for league development, youth programs and international projects. The federation also cited Lee’s long-standing support for volleyball, following his father, the late former chairman Lee Im-yong.
Taekwang Group has been closely tied to Korean volleyball for 55 years since founding the Taekwang Industries volleyball team in 1971, the predecessor of the women’s professional team Heungkuk Life. The group also runs volleyball programs at its affiliated Sewha Middle School and Sewha High School, focusing on identifying and developing prospects.
Lee graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in economics, earned an MBA at Cornell University, and completed doctoral coursework in economics at New York University. He joined Heungkuk Life Insurance in 1993 and later served as CEO and chairman of Taekwang Industries. Since February, he has also served as owner of the Heungkuk Life volleyball club.
KOVO said Lee helped stabilize the federation’s finances by securing Heungkuk Life Insurance as the V-League title sponsor for three years starting with the 2026~2027 season. It said he plans to work to raise the profile of professional volleyball and strengthen its international competitiveness.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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