SOOP (067160) said Wednesday it has received approval to launch a women's professional volleyball team.
The company received membership approval at an extraordinary board meeting of the Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) the previous day, joining the V-League as a new member. Club operations will be handled by SOOP TV, a subsidiary of SOOP, which will now begin full-fledged founding procedures including roster formation and the establishment of a club operation system.
SOOP CEO Lee Min-won will serve as the club owner. Executive Vice President Lee Byung-ho was appointed general manager, and Kwon So-yoon was named secretary general. SOOP plans to proceed step by step with overall club operation preparations, including roster management, front office organization and home city partnerships, while sequentially pursuing administrative procedures for league participation and player recruitment.
SOOP has accumulated experience in sports content production and broadcasting through its operation of an e-sports team and collaborations with various sports leagues and governing bodies. Recently, the company has been expanding its volleyball content offerings, including live broadcasts of all preliminary matches of the "2026 Korea Industrial Volleyball Federation and Professional Volleyball Futures Championship."
Through the operation of the professional volleyball team, the company plans to broaden its points of contact with volleyball fans by presenting diverse content in which players, fans and streamers can participate together, in addition to match broadcasts. SOOP intends to continue various activities aimed at expanding the volleyball industry's foundation and revitalizing fan culture alongside its club operations.
"Starting with the KOVO membership approval, we will begin full-scale preparations for club operations," a SOOP official said. "We will create a new club culture that can grow together with volleyball fans."
