A New Team, A Big Promise
So here's the thing about launching a brand-new sports franchise β you can play it safe, talk about building for the future, managing expectations. Or you can do what Kim Se-jin did at the SOOP Supers' founding ceremony on October 3rd and just say: "Our goal is winning the championship." Full stop.
The crowd of roughly 500 fans packed into Jeonnam-Gwangju Forest Stadium β also known as Yeomju General Gymnasium β absolutely loved it. And Kim didn't stop there. He put his money where his mouth is, literally, pledging to donate his entire salary if the team wins the title this season. That's the kind of opening statement that gets people talking.
Who Are the SOOP Supers?
For those not familiar with Korean volleyball, a bit of context: the SOOP Supers are a newly formed women's professional volleyball club competing in the V-League, Korea's top-tier professional volleyball competition organized by the Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO). The club is backed by SOOP, a major Korean online streaming platform β think of it as Korea's answer to Twitch β which brings a distinctly digital-native energy to the traditionally rooted world of Korean professional sports.
The team is based in the Gwangju-Jeonnam region of southwestern Korea, filling a gap left when the previous regional women's franchise folded. So when Gwangju-Jeonnam Mayor Min Hyeong-bae took the stage and said "I was really worried that women's volleyball in our region was going to disappear β thank you for choosing us," it wasn't just a polite speech. It reflected real relief from a community that had genuinely feared losing its local team.
The Founding Ceremony: More Than a Press Conference
What's really interesting is how the founding ceremony was structured less like a formal press event and more like a fan engagement party β which, given SOOP's streaming platform roots, makes total sense.
After the official signing of a home region agreement between Mayor Min and team owner Lee Min-won, the event opened up into something much more fun. Fans submitted their own questions directly to the players and coaching staff, leading to exchanges that ranged from serious championship talk to players sharing their favorite Korean foods. Asian quota player Yi Zhixue, when asked what kids should eat to grow tall, simply said: "Eat lots of delicious food" β and told the crowd her personal favorite Korean dish is tteok (traditional rice cakes).
The team's inaugural captain Han Da-hye delivered her championship pledge in the form of a Korean-style acrostic poem using the syllables of the team name "Supers," which translates roughly to: "Supers, first season, let's win β easy." The crowd cheered.
New Faces and Returning Veterans
The SOOP Supers roster is a blend of fresh transfers and players who were already part of the franchise's predecessor. Transfer player Jeon Sae-yan, who spent a decade with her previous club, described the move as genuinely exciting:
"After ten years with the same team, things had gotten comfortable β maybe too comfortable. Coming somewhere new, everything feels fresh and fun again."
Yu Ga-ram, who has championship experience from her previous club, said she's bringing that winning energy with her: "I want to plant that championship spirit here and go for it again." Meanwhile, Park Yeon-hwa, who switched positions to opposite spiker, set herself a personal target of reaching double-digit points every time she steps on the court.
As for who will score the team's very first point in official competition? The players themselves voted on it β and the consensus answer was foreign player Odriana, who promised to have a celebratory routine ready with her teammates when the moment comes.
The Catchphrase and the Mascots
The team's official season slogan β "BUILD TOGETHER, WIN TOGETHER" β was unveiled during the ceremony, alongside the team's two mascots, Gugu and Gogo. New uniforms were also revealed, capping off a ceremony that ended with a butterfly-themed group performance, player-signed messages literally flying out into the crowd, and a team-and-fans chant that sent everyone home buzzing.
Celebrity congratulations came in via video, including messages from Kia Tigers baseball stars Na Sung-bum and Yang Hyeon-jong β fitting, since both teams share the same regional home base in the Gwangju-Jeonnam area.
What Comes Next
The SOOP Supers don't have long to wait before real competition begins. Their first official outing is the 2026 Yeosu NH NongHyup Cup Pro Volleyball Tournament, opening on October 11th at Jinam Gymnasium in Yeosu. It's a pre-season cup competition that will give fans their first real look at whether Kim Se-jin's bold championship promises have any teeth behind them.
Head coach Kim, who revealed during the fan Q&A that his mother is originally from Gwangju and that he naturally slips into the local Gwangju dialect, even performed the region's signature "Gwangju Yaho!" pose for the crowd. It was a small moment, but one that spoke to something genuine β this isn't just a corporate team dropped into a city. There's a real connection being built here.
Whether the SOOP Supers can deliver on that championship promise in their very first season remains to be seen. But if the energy in that gymnasium on October 3rd is anything to go by, Korean volleyball's newest club is already doing something right.
