Eland World CEO Jo Dongjoo: "Opening the Next Chapter in Sports Business with HOKA"

Deckers Selects E-Land as New HOKA Partner for Korean Market
E-Land, Which Drove New Balance’s Growth, Eyes HOKA as Next Growth Engine

Dongju Cho, CEO of E-Land World (pictured), spoke about the partnership with the global performance brand HOKA, saying, "This is not simply the launch of a new brand, but an important growth engine that will open the next chapter for E-Land’s sports business."

According to the fashion industry on August 20, CEO Cho shared the background of the partnership with HOKA and future business plans in a message sent to employees that day.

The Asia-Pacific (APAC) division of Deckers, the U.S. company that owns HOKA, announced that it has chosen E-Land World as the new distribution partner for the Korean market.

Provided by E-Land Group.

CEO Cho cited E-Land’s accumulated experience in the domestic sports fashion market as a key strength for this partnership. He explained, “E-Land has long led Korea’s sports fashion market, building unrivaled expertise in growing global brands. Our unique strengths lie in discovering brands, developing products, expanding distribution, engaging with customers, and connecting markets.”

E-Land has managed domestic operations for various global sports brands such as Puma and New Balance. One of the most notable success stories is New Balance. When E-Land took on the domestic business in 2008, New Balance had annual sales of around KRW 25 billion, which grew to KRW 1 trillion by 2024. However, as New Balance is set to establish direct operations in Korea next year, E-Land’s sports business is also at a turning point. While the licensing partnership between the two companies will continue through 2030, from next year, business leadership—including official online store operations—will be transferred to the Korean subsidiary of New Balance. This is the background for HOKA’s emergence as the new growth driver for E-Land’s sports business, following New Balance.

CEO Cho described HOKA as “the fastest-growing performance brand in the world.” E-Land plans to leverage the product and distribution know-how accumulated through brands like New Balance in combination with HOKA’s competitive edge to expand its domestic market presence.

He emphasized, “With our capabilities, we will unlock even greater potential for HOKA and establish a new formula for success in E-Land’s sports business together with HOKA.” He added, “A new race is beginning now. Please look forward to the next stage of growth that E-Land and HOKA will create together.”

E-Land plans to explain the specific business direction and future plans stemming from the partnership with HOKA to its employees at an internal communication event later this month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.