KBO Board Backs Heo Koo-young for Third Term as Commissioner
The KBO board recommended Heo Koo-young as the sole candidate for a third term as commissioner, pending approval by the league’s General Assembly.
World Baseball News Editorial Team , 1 min read 
Korea Baseball Organization commissioner Heo Koo-young has moved within one vote of a third consecutive term after the KBO board recommended him as its sole candidate for the league’s 26th commissioner. The decision, announced October 27, puts the leadership of South Korea’s top professional baseball league on course to remain unchanged from 2027 through 2029.
Heo has not yet been formally re-elected. The KBO General Assembly, which includes the league’s club owners, must still approve the nomination with support from at least three-quarters of its registered members.
Board clears the first hurdle
The KBO said its board reviewed Heo as the only candidate during its fourth meeting of 2026. At least three-quarters of the registered directors agreed to forward his name to the General Assembly.
No date for the final vote was announced. The assembly is the KBO’s highest decision-making body and has the last word on appointments advanced by the board.
If approved, Heo would serve a three-year term beginning in 2027. He would also become only the third KBO commissioner to secure three consecutive terms, following Park Yong-oh and Koo Bon-neung.
Heo’s baseball background set a KBO precedent
Heo took office in March 2022 as the first commissioner in KBO history with a professional baseball background. He previously played, managed the Cheongbo Pintos, coached the Lotte Giants and built a long career as a television commentator.
The General Assembly unanimously re-elected him in November 2023 for his current term. The latest board vote does not complete the process, but selecting Heo as the sole candidate and clearing the three-quarters threshold leaves him in a strong position to continue leading the league through 2029.
The decision arrives while the KBO postseason is still underway. Samsung and KIA are tied 1-1 in their best-of-five playoff series, with Game 3 scheduled for October 29.
