Bhavya Das
Rahul SahaThis article contains information regarding the organisations enjoying a strong branding presence across the South Korea men’s and/or women’s national football teams’ physical and digital assets as sponsors and partners of the Korea Football Association.
Name of the football association: Korea Football Association (KFA)
Also read: FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Sponsors
Official Kit Partner
Nike
Nike is an American company that designs, manufactures, markets and distributes sportswear, footwear and sports apparel globally. It is the second-largest sportswear manufacturer in the world, behind Adidas.
Nike first officially collaborated with the KFA in 1996, when it became its official kit supplier. The current agreement between the two parties will see Nike serve as the official kit supplier of the KFA’s national teams until 2032. This deal is reportedly worth ?240 billion (South Korean won).
Official Bank
Hana Bank
Prior to its merger in 2015, Hana Bank, a commercial bank with headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, was known as Korea Exchange Bank. Hana Bank has consistently supported South Korean football since 1998 as an official KFA sponsor. It has also been a Korean FA Cup sponsor since 2000.
In June 2023, Hana Bank extended its partnership with the KFA for ten more years until 2033. The deal is reportedly worth ?100 billion and sees Hana Bank continue to title-sponsor the South Korean national team in friendly matches, while also serving as the title sponsor to the Korean FA Cup.
Official Partners
KT
KT Corporation, formerly Korea Telecom, is one of the largest South Korean telecommunications companies. Founded in 1981 as a public entity but later privatised in 1994, today KT plays the role of one of the key contributors in the South Korean economy.
Since 2001, the KFA has had a partnership in place with KT, with both the South Korea men’s and women’s national football teams having a variety of branding rights with the mobile carrier. The most recent contract renewal was signed in 2021 for three years. As per the deal, KT is also involved in the development of youth football in the country.
Shinsegae
Shinsegae is a South Korea-based retail store chains operator owned by the Shinsegae Group. It is the largest convenience store chain in South Korea.
In December 2019, Shinsegae and the KFA announced the signing of a four-year sponsorship deal starting in January 2020 and set to run until 2024. The deal reportedly worth ?2 billion annually. As per the deal, Shinsegae holds back-of-shirts branding rights over the four-year period.
Coca-Cola Korea
In 2003, Coca-Cola Company Korea became the official sponsor of the South Korean national football teams as part of a deal with the KFA.
Coca-Cola was made the official non-alcoholic beverage of the South Korea men’s, women’s and youth national teams in October 2020 as part of a long-standing agreement between the beverage manufacturer and the KFA, which was last extended through 2023.
The current deal between Coca-Cola Korea and the KFA is reportedly worth ?50 billion.
Nexon
Founded in Seoul, South Korea, in 1994, Nexon is a South Korean video game publisher. Over the years, Nexon has gone on to become one of the largest video game publishers in the world, with over 600 million registered users and over US$2 billion in annual revenue.
Nexon and the KFA signed an initial four-year sponsorship agreement in 2018 reportedly worth ?50 billion. Although this deal officially expired in December 2022, Nexon still features on the official KFA official website as one of its main sponsors.
Coupang Play
Coupang Play, a streaming service owned by Coupang, is an electronic e-commerce business with its corporate headquarters in Seoul. Coupang Play has a deal in place with the KFA that sees it serve as the federation’s official OTT service platform until August 2025.
The partnership has seen production of the “Road to Qatar” documentary, which is focused around the South Korean men’s national team’s qualifying run for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Coupang Play also has the rights to produce and distribute content regarding the national team and the players.
Asiana Airlines
Asiana Airlines is a South Korean international airline headquartered in Seoul. It is the second-largest airline in South Korea after Korean Air and operates a fleet of over 80 aircrafts, flying to over 130 destinations across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania.
In 2016, Asiana Airlines signed a seven-year sponsorship agreement with the KFA for a reported ?30 billion. As per the deal, Asiana Airlines holds exclusive branding rights on the uniforms and training gear of the South Korea national football teams.
Guinness
Guinness is an Irish alcohol brand. Originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St James’s Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759, it is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide.
In 2021, Guinness and the KFA announced the signing of a three-year deal set to run until 2024 and reportedly worth ?20 billion.
Kyobo Life
Kyobo Life is a South Korean life insurance company headquartered in Seoul. It is one of the largest life insurance companies in South Korea, with over 10 million customers.
In March 2017, Kyobo and the KFA announced the signing of a five-year deal reportedly worth ?50 billion. As part of the deal, Kyobo received exclusive branding rights on the KFA national team uniforms and training kits. Kyobo have also worked with the governing body to promote football among the younger South Korean generation.
Hyundai
Founded in 1967, Hyundai Motors is a South Korean multinational automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, and the largest in South Korea.
In September 2018, Hyundai and the KFA announced the signing of a five-year partnership agreement set to run until 2023. The deal is reportedly worth ?100 billion and grants Hyundai exclusive branding rights on the South Korea national team jerseys and training kits.
