earticle

영어

The purpose of this study was to compare ESG management activities across South Korea’s four major professional sports leagues and to identify league-specific features within the Social (S) dimension. A document-based qualitative content analysis was conducted using five years of data from 32 clubs in the KBO, K League, V-League, and KBL, including academic publications, institutional reports, official documents, and media sources. The findings showed that all leagues have increasingly expanded their ESG-related practices, albeit with distinct strategic emphases. In the Environmental (E) dimension, the KBO and K League demonstrated leadership through initiatives such as carbon reduction, recycling programs, and the promotion of eco-friendly fan culture. In the Social (S) dimension, the K League and V-League actively engaged in youth development, community partnerships, and inclusive stadium environments, whereas the KBO and KBL structured their efforts around fan-participatory social contribution and community outreach programs. In the Governance (G) dimension, the K League and V-League strengthened organizational transparency through the establishment of dedicated ESG units and the publication of sustainability-related reports. This study provides a conceptual and empirical foundation for understanding sport-specific ESG characteristics and underscores the need for further development of standardized, quantitative ESG performance indicators within the professional sports industry.

한국어

본 연구는 국내 프로스포츠 4대 리그의 ESG 경영활동을 비교해 사회(S) 항목의 차별성을 규명하는 데 목적이 있으며, KBO·K리그·V리그·KBL 32개 구단의 최근 5년간 자료를 수집해 문헌 기반 질적 내용분석(content analysis)을 수행했다. 분석 결과, 네 종목 모두 ESG를 확대했으나 방향성은 달랐다. 환경(E)에서는 KBO와 K리그가 탄소저감, 재활 용, 친환경 관람문화에서 두드러졌고, 사회(S)에서는 K리그와 V리그가 유소년 육성, 지역협업, 포용적 관람환경 등 지역 밀착 활동을 활발히 전개했으며 KBO와 KBL은 팬 참여형 사회공헌 중심으로 체계를 구축했다. 지배구조(G)에서는 K리 그와 V리그가 ESG 전담조직과 보고서 발간을 통해 투명성을 강화하였다. 본 연구는 종목별 ESG 특성을 정리해 전략 수립의 기초를 제공하며, 향후 정량지표 개발이 필요함을 제시한다.