South Korea is home to a number of popular sports, including baseball, football (soccer), basketball, Taekwondo, Archery, and many more to choose from. Let’s take a look at a few.
Baseball: Perhaps the most popular sport in South Korea. The country has its own professional baseball league, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), founded in 1982. The KBO consists of 10 teams and plays a 144-game regular season from April to October. The KBO also hosts the annual Korean Series, equivalent to the World Series in Major League Baseball.
Football (soccer): The country’s top football league is the K-League, founded in 1983. The K-League consists of 12 teams and plays a regular season from March to November. The K-League also hosts the annual Korean FA Cup, which is the country’s top football cup competition.
Basketball: The country’s top basketball league is the Korean Basketball League (KBL), founded in 1997. The KBL consists of 10 teams and plays a regular season from October to April. The KBL also hosts the annual Korean Basketball Championship, which is the country’s top basketball championship game.
Taekwondo: A martial art that originated in Korea and is now practiced all over the world. Taekwondo competitions are popular spectator sports, and many Koreans take part in them either as athletes or as fans.
Archery: Originally used for hunting and warfare, today it is mostly practiced as a recreational activity or competitive sport. Archery competitions are held regularly, and many Koreans enjoy watching or participating in them.
Other popular sports in South Korea include tennis, badminton, table tennis, and volleyball. But overall, South Korea has a wide range of popular sports, both traditional and modern. Whatever your interests, you’re sure to find a sporting activity to enjoy in this vibrant country.
About South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a sovereign state in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The name Korea derives from Goguryeo, one of the great powers in East Asia during its time, ruling most of the Korean Peninsula, Manchuria, parts of the Russian Far East, and Inner Mongolia under Gwanggaeto the Great.
The country lies in the north temperate zone with predominantly mountainous terrain. It comprises an estimated 51 million people spread over 100,311 square kilometers (38,750 sq mi), making it the world’s 31st-most populous country. Its capital and largest city is Seoul, with a population of around 10 million. Together, Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province form the Seoul National Capital Area, home to around half of the country’s population.
South Korea is a presidential republic with 17 administrative divisions and a developed country with a very high standard of living. It is East Asia’s fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP and third-largest by purchasing power parity (PPP).