The OK Savings Bank Woori Man volleyball team is leaving Ansan and heading to Busan.

On the 24th, the Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) held a board meeting in the conference room of its headquarters in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Directors General from 14 teams in the V-League attended the meeting.

Among several agenda items discussed at the meeting, the focus was on the transfer of the OK Savings Bank volleyball team's home ground. The team has prepared to move its home ground from the existing Ansan to Busan.

Through the team's official social media, the volleyball team stated, "The OK Woori Man volleyball team is working to transfer from Ansan, which has been our home ground since its founding in 2013, to Busan."

To the passionate fans who have supported them in Ansan, they conveyed, "Although the distance is increasing, the gratitude and respect toward Ansan and the fans will always live in the heart of the OK Woori Man volleyball team, and we will never forget the love and support we received from Ansan. Once again, I would like to express deep gratitude to the fans in Ansan who have been with us consistently for over the past 10 years."

During the meeting, final approval was granted for the transfer of the home ground. The OK Woori Man volleyball team will now operate with Busan as its new home ground. Director General Kwon Cheol-geun stated, "The decision was unanimously approved at the meeting," while explaining one of the reasons for transferring the home ground, "There are no teams south of Daejeon. Men's volleyball is not captured in the ratings south of Daejeon."

Director General Kwon continued, "Busan has the infrastructure for elite and amateur volleyball. We needed to establish a new turning point to secure a national V-League fan base," adding, "Additionally, we aim to reduce dependence on our parent company and strengthen our self-sustainability. We confirmed the enthusiasm for volleyball in Busan in 2019 and had discussions about the transfer of the home ground starting from 2020."

The current name of the home stadium is Gangseo Sports Park Indoor Gymnasium. The seating capacity is 4,189 seats (including 972 flexible seats). Public transportation is a 6-minute walk from Sports Park Station on Busan Metro Line 3. The team considered fans' accessibility and convenience comprehensively.

Director General Kwon emphasized, "Will this be a positive challenge? There are concerns as it is the first transfer of a home ground to a provincial area. Many people are contributing significantly. The city of Busan has also actively supported us, enabling us to gather the courage to proceed. The popularity of volleyball is stagnant. The players who drove the ratings have retired. There was a sense of crisis. I thought this would be a challenge we could take on as the 'youngest' men's volleyball team."

Director General Kwon also expressed gratitude to Ansan, stating, "When leaving the home ground, the place we sent the team to did not end on good terms. However, the city of Ansan encouraged us, saying, 'Since you grew well under our care, we hope you do well at a bigger place.'"

[OSEN]