On the 12th at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, the Kia Tigers and the Doosan Bears faced off in the 2025 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). When Kia's Choi Hyoung-woo turned a 154 kph fastball into a hit in the bottom of the ninth, his photos flooded the sports sections of portal sites. It was the moment when the Kumho Tire logo on the right chest of his uniform delivered advertising impact.
Korean tire corporations are emerging as major advertisers in sports that mainly use balls, such as baseball and soccer. This is seen as a judgment that the shape of a tire resembles a ball and that the setting is ideal for building a young and passionate corporate image. A tire industry official said, "Because both balls and tires are circular and roll, it is easy to connect them for marketing."
Kumho Tire ads can be seen at the home stadiums of seven Major League Baseball (MLB) teams in the United States, including the San Francisco Giants, where Lee Jung-hoo plays. NEXEN TIRE has a partnership with the MLB's San Diego Padres.
Soccer stadiums are also major advertising venues for tire corporations. Hankook Tire has been an official partner of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Europa League since 2012. In the final of the 2024–2025 season in May, Tottenham Hotspur, which had Son Heung-min, defeated Manchester United to sit atop Europe for the first time in 17 years, and as the match drew major attention, Hankook Tire's recognition also rose significantly.
A Hankook Tire official said, "The global unified brand 'Hankook' and the electric-vehicle-only tire brand 'iON' were naturally exposed across various channels, including stadium ads and broadcast screens." NEXEN TIRE has built brand awareness in Europe and global regions through a 10-year long-term partnership with Manchester City FC.
The tire industry is also investing in motorsports. Hankook Tire is the exclusive supplier of racing tires for motorsport events such as Formula E, which races with electric cars, and the World Rally Championship (WRC). Kumho Tire operates the "Kumho SL Motorsport Team." The industry is leveraging motorsports as an opportunity to showcase tire technology.
An official in the tire industry said, "Sports are watched by many young men, a key customer group, and they also help build a young and passionate corporate image."