It was announced yesterday that KT (Korea Telecom) will take over the Korean Baseball Organization’s eighth franchise. Rather than buy the rights to the team’s former name (the Unicorns) KT will hold a ceremony sometime in January to reveal a new name and logo for the franchise.

So let’s help them out. I’ve come up with a list of five possibilities and arguments for the relevancy and potential of each. Please find and vote in the poll below the list. Feel free to defend your choice in the comments section.

KT Tigers: There’s already a Tigers team in Gwangju, but it wouldn’t be the first time a league ran with that idea. Tigers is a name that’s classic across all sports and would be a safe choice for a fledgling team. An alternative choice would be Bears.

KT Jun Ji-hyun: The lovely Jun used to be KT’s spokesmodel. She’s not quite as popular as in year’s past, but with a part in an upcoming Hollywood film the international marketing possibilities are endless. Notice this name is kept singular. Although an army of Jun Ji-hyuns carrying stylized leather bats and fitted, black fielding gloves certainly has its appeal.

KT Taepodongs: This name might have been the easy choice if not for recent election of a right-wing candidate in Lee Myung-bak. Still, for citizens in favor of outgoing president Roh Moo-hyun’s engagement policy with North Korea, this name might do the trick. Plus think of the cheering possibilities…The Taepodong Chop.

KT Manticores: The KBO has a long history of choosing European mythical creatures for mascots. The Wyverns won the championship this past year so this could be a trendy, lucky choice. The team the KT franchise will replace was known as the Unicorns who prior to that it were known as the Dolphins. Tigers, Bears and Eagles are also heraldic, or medieval, by nature. Other possibilities in this vein: KT Cockatrices or the KT Biscione.

KT Canadian English Teachers (or KT CETs for short): English teachers are often viewed as diseased, perverted, drug-addicts by many Koreans so this name works in lieu of something like the Marauders or Raiders (which was already used by the KBO). Canadians might initially dislike the fact that the name singles them out, but are likely to eventually understand the opposite point of view, and perhaps even apologize for their role in it.

Baseball, Sparkling: This takes its name from the Korea’s official slogan Korea, Sparkling. KT might not like the idea of leaving its company logo and name out of the new franchise name, but given the popularity of the Korea, Sparkling name, it might find this choice irresistible. I’m envisioning a cute, sequined dancing comma mascot.

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