HJ Shipbuilding Launches KLPGA Golf Team to Boost Brand

HJ Shipbuilding & Construction has launched a Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) golf team, stepping up its sports marketing efforts. The company is moving beyond simple player sponsorship to advance a brand strategy that combines environmental, social and governance (ESG) activities with community contribution.

HJ Shipbuilding held the inauguration ceremony for the "HJ Shipbuilding Golf Team" at its headquarters in Namyeong-dong, Seoul, on the 24th and began official operations, the company said on the 27th.

The team is composed of five players, including top-tier KLPGA players such as Park Ji-young, Hong Jung-min and Cho A-yeon, along with promising talents such as Kim Min-seo and Park Seo-jin. The players will compete in major domestic and international tournaments bearing the HJ Shipbuilding logo, starting with the Aurora World Championship, the first event of the second half of the year.

The team was created by acquiring the player roster of the Korea Land Trust golf team. HJ Shipbuilding has been pursuing the acquisition process since early this year, and the move is regarded as a strategic investment that promotes both corporate image enhancement and ESG management.

The lineup of players is impressive. Park Ji-young is a marquee star with 10 career KLPGA wins and a member of the "10-win club," which counts only 15 players in its history. Hong Jung-min recorded her first major tournament victory last year while topping the multiple-win and prize money rankings, and Cho A-yeon is a former Rookie of the Year with two tour wins.

HJ Shipbuilding plans to use the golf team as a platform to expand its points of contact with customers. The company intends to enhance brand affinity through pro-am tournaments, fan participation programs and community-linked events, as well as support to improve the players' performance.

"Through operating the golf team, we will create a virtuous cycle in which the company, players, customers and the local community grow together," an HJ Shipbuilding official said. "By linking sports marketing with ESG activities and social contribution, we will raise both corporate value and social value together."