Longtime baseball commentator Heo Koo-youn was elected the new commissioner of the South Korea's professional league.

The Korea Baseball Organization(KBO) announced on Friday that its board of governors unanimously approved Heo's nomination the previous day.

This is the first time that a former baseball player has been elected to lead the KBO in its 40-year history. The top post has customarily been held by politicians and corporate executives.

After his semi-professional career in the 1970s, the 71-year-old began work as a television commentator in 1982. During the mid 80s to early 90s, Heo was the manager for the Chungbo Pintos, the bench coach for Lotte Giants, and a minor league roving instructor for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Although the commissioner's term is typically three years, Heo will serve out the remaining tenure of his predecessor Chung Ji-taik through December 31, 2023. Chung handed in his resignation last month citing health concerns.