Kim Seo-a (third from left) poses for a photo with officials after the signing ceremony. [Photo provided by Sema Sports Marketing]
Kim Seo-a (third from left) poses for a photo with officials after the signing ceremony. [Photo provided by Sema Sports Marketing]

Kim Seo-a, a 14-year-old second-year student at Sinseong Middle School in Anyang, has signed a sponsorship deal with Transcosmos, a Japanese global digital business company.

Sema Sports Marketing, Kim's management agency, announced Monday that Kim had signed an official sponsorship agreement with Transcosmos, saying the deal gives her "a reliable partner in her pursuit of the global stage."

Kim and Transcosmos signed the agreement Oct. 6 at the Transcosmos Korea headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. The ceremony was attended by Transcosmos Chairman Masataka Okuda, Transcosmos Korea CEO Lee Jeong-a, and Kim's family, among other key officials. Kim will wear competition apparel bearing the Transcosmos brand logo at official tournaments going forward.

Known for her exceptional driving distance and aggressive course management, Kim has shown the potential to compete on equal footing with professional players despite her young age. At just 14, she averages 250 to 260 meters off the tee, allowing her to approach most par-4 holes with a wedge and reach par-5 greens in two.

Kim took up golf in the fifth grade and, within just one year, swept eight junior tournament titles in 2024. She then finished tied for fourth at the KLPGA Tour's domestic season opener, the Siena Open, in April, and claimed a solo third-place finish at the JLPGA Tour's Suntory Ladies Open in June — her first appearance on the Japanese tour.

Transcosmos's decision to sign Kim goes beyond backing a promising prospect — it is a strategic investment to secure a top-tier talent who has already proven competitive on both the Korean and Japanese tours. The sponsorship is also expected to serve as a meaningful partnership as Kim grows into a global star.

Founded in 1966 and headquartered in Tokyo, Transcosmos is Asia's largest and one of the world's leading business process outsourcing companies. The company posted sales of about 3.6 trillion won last year and employs about 70,000 people. Its core business involves taking over non-core and customer-facing operations on behalf of client companies, and it is listed on the Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Transcosmos also signed a sub-sponsorship deal with Park Hyun-kyung, who won the JLPGA Tour's Earth Mondamin Cup in June. As a B2B company serving corporate clients rather than individual consumers, Transcosmos has effectively secured two high-profile golfers — Kim and Park — as assets for pro-am tournaments and VIP marketing targeting corporate executives and decision-makers, for whom golf ranks among the top sports of interest.


sports@heraldcorp.com