KBL issued a personnel appointment in early 2023. Manager Sujin Lee was appointed as the head of the PR team. Manager Lee Su-jin, who has been with the company for 13 years, is the first female public relations team leader at KBL.
Manager Soo-Jin Lee said that from right after she joined the company until now, she has only worked in the public relations team. She has solidified the foundation and direction of her work for 13 years. Even as the head of the PR team, she clearly set her direction. The direction that Manager Lee Soo-jin set for her was ‘accurate delivery’ and ‘communication’.
“A basketball court? It’s a great workplace for me.”
There were several turning points in Korean basketball. 1997 was one of the major turning points. This is because it was the first time KBL, or Korean professional basketball, began.
After professional basketball started, many people with a passion for basketball knocked on KBL’s door. Manager Sujin Lee was one of them.
However, the competition rate was quite high. Manager Lee Soo-jin, who was a job applicant for her job, came up with a strategy of her own. She and she got the stamp of ‘passed’ with difficulty. She qualified to work for KBL. That’s why she thought her first day at work was even more special.
How did you apply for KBL?
I liked basketball since I was in school. But he didn’t study sports-related majors. I also thought, ‘Is it okay to take a sports-related industry as a job?’ I also had an internship at a sports marketing company, and it was so much fun. I thought the basketball court would be a great place to work for me.
I heard that the competition was fierce. What did you talk about during the interview?
I applied for a job in 2011. Even then, there were no social media. I looked for related information on the KBL website. I remember studying history and regulations. The things I studied didn’t come out of the interview (laughs), but I learned a lot. To be honest, I only remember being very nervous.
The harder you passed, the greater the joy.
I don’t remember much about the interview. But the memory of receiving the acceptance call is vivid. I was with a friend, and there was no crying or fuss. I don’t know why, but I think I was very happy. (Laughs)
I think my first day at work will be more memorable.
The first job is more memorable than the first job. Scraping articles was my first job. Even when I was in school, I liked scrapping articles or reading books, so I thought, ‘Is this really work?’ It’s still a job I’m confident in. (Laughs)
“Contrary to what I thought…”
People who are new to social life dream of plausible ideals. However, it faces the powerful fist (?) of reality. Office workers hit by the fist of reality put down their ideals one by one.
Manager Lee Soo-jin was the same. I couldn’t do what I was aiming for due to elements I didn’t think of. In particular, due to the nature of the public relations team’s work, I experienced cases where it was delivered differently than intended. Those things made Manager Lee Soo-jin tired.
What were your goals when you first joined the company?
Since it was my first social life, the biggest commitment was ‘don’t make mistakes’. There was also a great sense of duty that ‘one person has to do their part’. Besides, I had a social life before graduating from school, so I think those feelings were bigger.
Nevertheless, many mistakes are made in the early days of employment. I think there must have been an episode that happened then.
It couldn’t have been. You might even get the name of the media company wrong. There is also a lot of information that needs to be conveyed. At the stadium, I cheered for the play, but I got scolded. I couldn’t throw away the habit I had as a fan. Of course, I wasn’t rooting for a specific team, but clapping and shouting was not appropriate behavior for a federation employee.
As with all workplaces, reality and ideals are different. I think the manager also bumped into a wall of reality.
Of course, not all work was the same. Unexpectedly, unfortunate things happened, and there were many things that were delivered differently than I had intended. In particular, our public relations team is KBL’s communication channel. The intent of the alliance must be conveyed accurately, but there were many cases where it was not.
Also, since I joined the company, I heard a lot of stories saying, “Basketball is not as popular as it used to be.” As an employee of the federation, I am not free from that responsibility. Employees also talk a lot about “I hope basketball becomes more popular.” I think I’ve come across those things in real life.
Delivering on purpose. I think it’s really difficult.
Most things started with good intentions or good intentions. However, it was difficult to communicate with that intention. (Laughs) It is true that it is difficult, but it must be conveyed according to the purpose of the event or the purpose of the action. That’s our team’s job. I also worked hard to do that, and there were many cases in which the will of our federation was well conveyed to the media and fans. At that time, I think I felt rewarded.
“hello. This is Lee Su-jin from the KBL Public Relations Team
.The PR team’s mission is to: It is to think about how to raise the value of KBL and respond to the media covering KBL. The biggest task is to continuously secure communication channels between KBL and fans.
Due to the nature of my work, I have to meet a lot of people. It’s fun, but there are also a lot of bumps. Because of the relationship between people, the fatigue you get is obviously great. Manager Lee Soo-jin was the same. But he didn’t show a tough expression. He was for enhancing the value of KBL.
I understand that right after he joined the company, he was in the public relations team.
you’re right. From the time he joined the company until now, he has only been on the PR team. I also had a strong desire to experience the work of other teams. (Laughs) But the public relations team is a place where you can learn all about KBL. It is also a place to know what is happening at KBL. I think there are such strengths.
What is the exact job of the PR team?
It can be broadly divided into two categories. The first is publicity to the media. Most of them are distributing press releases to media outlets or responding to media inquiries. Investigating game records and reporting them to the media is one of them.
The second is publicity targeting fans. In particular, SNS has increased recently, so there are more channels to communicate with fans. We can get more opinions from our fans. Also, our players communicate so well with the fans that we are also gaining strength. On the contrary, we have to manage the social media channel well so that the players can receive strength.
According to the manager, the public relations team has to deal with a lot of people. I don’t think it would have been easy.
There are more media covering KBL, and more channels to listen to the opinions of KBL fans. We need to check opinions more than before. Things like that aren’t easy.
Were there any proud moments?
Contrary to what I said earlier, we can communicate with our fans. While conveying KBL’s news with a sense of responsibility, we must accept the opinions of fans and the media. So I think I was most proud when things that we started with good intentions reached the fans and the media in a good way
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We are the department that keeps records. I’ve experienced too many things, and there are many tasks where I have to revisit the past. Also, I am called the ‘on-duty fairy’ within the company (laughs), and there are many games that I remember during the on-call process. However, it was regrettable that I couldn’t be there. (The home team’s public relations team responds to the media and fans on site, and the KBL public relations team checks matters related to the game at the KBL headquarters.)
Gyeonggi-do is also Gyeonggi-do, but the rookie draft remains in my memory every year. I prepare for a draft for a long time and see several players during that time. In particular, when I look at the players who were nominated and those who were not, I feel mixed. For that reason, I think a lingering effect remains from the time I prepare until the end.
“To be able to listen to the fans’ stories more carefully…”
Manager Lee Soo-jin has been with KBL for 13 years. He became KBL’s second-hand cham. He must be aware of the characteristics of KBL and think about how to develop it.
And in 2023. He became the head of the KBL public relations team. She is KBL’s first female PR team leader. She got a special title. However, Manager Lee Soo-jin did not focus on her newly acquired title. As a veteran of her KBL, doing her own thing. That was the direction of her work under her manager Sujin Lee.
She is the first female public relations team leader at KBL. What does that mean for you, chief?
Even before she became the team leader, she didn’t care about gender. She said that even though she belongs to the Men’s Professional Basketball League, she didn’t feel much restriction in her work. However, the fact that she had never played basketball was always in her mind. She thought there was a big difference between playing basketball and not.안전놀이터
The sense of responsibility seems to have increased.
First of all, as a team leader, you have to organize a team well. We need to look wider and farther. In addition, the KBL Public Relations Team Leader must also act as KBL’s spokesperson. I need to do my job better than before.
The word ‘delivery’ came up a lot during the interview. What is its core meaning?
Good things or things that started with good intentions should be conveyed positively, and bad things should be conveyed humbly when criticized by fans. Instead, we need to point out the elements that can lead to misunderstandings more precisely. That way, the basketball I love won’t get hurt.
What are your goals at KBL?
Just as KBL and 10 clubs play every season, I am with KBL every season. You need to pinpoint the things you did well and the things you did wrong this season. Without that process, neither KBL nor I can develop.
Lastly, please say something to basketball fans.
I’m still a basketball fan. After work, my co-workers say, “Did you see that game? How was it?” Talking about basketball is the most fun.
I used to and still love basketball a lot. With that in mind, I will listen carefully to the stories of the fans. We would like to express our gratitude and gratitude to the fans who support KBL once again.