For sports fans, watching their favorite sports in person or on television means everything to them. Whether it is supporting their favorite teams or following their favorite players, nothing is as thrilling as watching your team win after a hard-fought game. For fans coming to Korea, many might be looking for that same rush during their time abroad. Enter the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO).
For those who do not know, baseball is arguably the largest sport played and viewed in Korea. Thousands of fans flock to stadiums nationwide every day to watch their favorite teams compete in standard 9-inning games. The main league in Korea is run by the Korean Baseball Organization and features 10 different teams run by various different corporations. Their games are run every day of the week, with sizable crowds showing up even during the work week.
Just yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend one of these games in Seoul. It was the LG Twins versus the KT Wiz. The Twins were at home, representing Seoul, while the Wiz represent Suwon, a smaller city south of Seoul. Despite this, both teams had very large fan turnout, with both sides of the stadium being filled in either white or black, the teams’ respective colors. I purchased my ticket for a very reasonable 16,000 won (~$12.23 USD) and proceeded to find my way into the stadium. My seat was toward the front of the aisle; however, it quickly became clear that the best seats were situated closer to the center of the stadium, slightly higher up where the rally staff was performing.
The rally staff appeared to be an integral part of the baseball experience and consisted of cheerleaders as well as a single person that would lead the crowd in chants and songs. It was their job to maintain energy throughout the crowd and to keep the game exciting and interactive for the viewers. They were very good at their job. Even before the game had begun, the entire crowd was fully immersed in dozens of different chants and songs, each with its own associated hand gestures and lyrics. Turning up to look at the crowd, it was mesmerizing to see the impressive coordination that everyone in the audience had achieved. Waving towels, inflatable signs, and light sticks, everyone was completely invested in their teams as they cheered for them in unison.
As a foreigner that has been to numerous professional sporting events, it was very impressive to see such audience and fan participation from a crowd. I had never seen so many people so coordinated in their movements and singing. As someone who unfortunately cannot speak Korean, I did feel a bit left out because everyone around me was so into the different chants, however, over time I had learned some of the movements as well as some of the words. Most of the songs usually incorporated the name of the hitter or pitcher at that time.
As the game progressed, it was thrilling to watch both teams compete against each other in high-level competition. I was fortunate to attend a game that LG was playing at, as they are the current rank 1 team in the league. However, for much of the game, it was very close, with both teams only ever being one or two points ahead of the other. This got the fans, even more, riled up and engrossed in the game. Every ball struck and caught was accompanied by roars of ooh’s and aah’s as every fan wanted to see their team come out on top.
Finally, at the end of the day, the LG Twins were victorious, 8-7 at the end of the ninth inning. After an action-packed game, it was finally time to go home. Luckily, I had managed to get a fan towel, used during the many chants and songs, as a souvenir and memento of my time that night. Overall, as someone who is not the biggest fan of watching baseball, I would still absolutely recommend a trip to a Korean baseball game. Even though I was not initially attached to the sport, the atmosphere of the crowd and fans was so unbelievably captivating it cannot be missed. The energy and enthusiasm there was something that all sports fans should experience.
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