Behind the GS Caltex Seoul Kixx volleyball team's cup tournament victory was a special arrangement by the team owner, who gave players a chance to experience arts and culture.
The women's professional volleyball club said on the 21st that players visited GS Caltex Yeulmaru, a leading cultural and arts venue in Yeosu, and Jangdo, an island devoted to art, for rest and relaxation on Oct. 13, after finishing the first qualifying match of the 2026 Yeosu NH Nonghyup Cup. The itinerary was arranged by team owner Hur Sae-hong.
Hur proposed the schedule to shift the team's mood and give players a refresh. GS Caltex Yeulmaru, whose name combines the idea of a swell of culture and the wooden floor of a traditional Korean house, is a multipurpose cultural and arts complex that GS Caltex built and operates in Yeosu as part of its corporate social responsibility work. It offers high-quality performances and exhibitions to local residents and visitors, and includes a main theater, a small theater and exhibition halls designed by the French architect Dominique Perrault. Along with the art island of Jangdo, it has established itself as one of Yeosu's signature cultural venues.
The squad toured key facilities including the main theater and rehearsal hall, and posed for photos on the outdoor terrace. The players then moved to Jangdo, timing their trip to when the tidal path to the island opens. They viewed the Jangdo exhibition hall and listened to a pianist perform at the island cafe, easing the tension built up during the tournament and spending time together.
The players went on a three-game winning streak immediately after the program, then beat Korea Expressway Corp. 3-2 in the final to lift the cup trophy for the first time in three years and the seventh time overall. Hur sent a congratulatory message calling it a hard-earned and proud victory, and also thanked employees of the GS Caltex Yeosu plant who cheered for the team at the venue.