Baseball Pioneer lee Yong-il Dies at 94, Remembered as ”Great Worker” by former Star Lee Man-soo
Seoul, South Korea – August 8, 2024 – Lee Yong-il, the first Secretary-General of the Korea Baseball Association (KBO) and a key figure in launching professional baseball in South Korea, has died at the age of 94. His passing on August 7th has prompted an outpouring of remembrance from the baseball community, including heartfelt tributes from those who directly benefited from his vision.
Born in 1931, Lee Yong-il, son of kyungsung Rubber founder, spearheaded the creation of the KBO League in 1981 at the request of then-President Chun Doo-hwan. Working alongside KBO’s first Deputy General Manager Lee Ho-heon, he drafted the initial six-team professional baseball blueprint, building upon the foundation of prosperous high school baseball. This effort ultimately led to the formation of the now ten-club KBO League.
Lee Yong-il later served as owner of the two-way radars for three years and, in 2011, as President of the KBO. He had been residing in Donam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, and passed away after a two-month illness.
The KBO has designated the funeral as the first KBO-sponsored event in honor of Lee’s contributions to Korean baseball, recognizing his prior roles as President of the Jeonbuk Baseball Association and Executive Director of the Korean Baseball Association.
Lee Man-soo, 67, Chairman of the Hulk Foundation and former professional baseball star and SK Wyverns director, shared a close relationship with Lee Yong-il. ”There is a long relationship with the Secretary-General of the day before lee Yong-il. Unfortunately, it was the same as me, so I was more exceptional,” Lee Man-soo stated. He further emphasized Lee Yong-il’s dedication, saying, “Even though it was a socially tough time, I tried to be a great worker of the KBO League, which is now very popular.” Lee Man-soo concluded with a hopeful sentiment, “I hope you see the baseball you liked so far.”
A photo from October 16,1982,shows Lee Man-soo as a Samsung player alongside Lee Yong-il. Another image from December 12, 1981, depicts Lee Yong-il being appointed as the first Secretary-General of the KBO at the founding general meeting of professional baseball.
