Baseball syndrome in South Korea

Baseball has become a “culture” since its introduction in Korea over a century ago. The industry gradually grew into a cherished pastime with a unique culture and a passionate fan base. The professional baseball league was first founded with six teams in 1982. The first game in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) was played on March 27, 1982, and the first champion was OB Bears (Doosan Bears). The KBO is now one of the highest-ranked baseball leagues in the world, and baseball is one of the most popular sports in South Korea. Currently, there are ten professional clubs which are Doosan Bears, Samsung Lions, Hanwha Eagles, NC Dinos, KT Wiz, Lotte Giants, Kiwoom Heroes, SSG Landers, LG Twins and KIA Tigers.

The first reason why KBO became famous is the cheering culture. It first started in the 1990s and continues nowadays. Ten professional clubs each have their unique chants. The chants are all addictive, enthusiastic, and easy to learn. Each team has a cheer captain and cheerleaders to excite audiences. Most of the hitters have their unique cheer song. When the hitter enters the batter’s box, fans sing the song with the cheerleaders.

Moreover, each professional club has its own unique cheering culture. For example, Lotte Giants fans used to put orange plastic on their heads. Unfortunately, this unique cheering method disappeared into history. The Busan metropolitan government announced a plan to reduce the use of disposable products. But nowadays, their clappers are widely used by the fans. Cheering is supposed to help the players to cheer up. I think cheering is more fun for the audiences themselves than cheering the players. You can relieve the stress that you get from your life. Also, supporting the team gives a sense of belonging and engagement with the fans.

Another reason for the success of the KBO league is its easy accessibility. I have been to some of the baseball stadiums in Korea and one baseball stadium, which is the Washington Nationals’ in America. Both countries have different pros and cons. Most of the MLB stadiums are gigantic compared with KBO stadiums. It depends on the venue, but the tickets in MLB are excusably expensive. Ticket prices are getting higher and higher each year. Therefore, fans need help to get their tickets. Expensive tickets are a severe problem because it is hard to get fans back once people lose interest in baseball. On the other hand, even though the size of the stadiums is small, the Korean Baseball Professional League is comparably cheaper than the MLB. Fans can easily access the game to watch it. Cheap prices are one of the reasons why baseball became popular in South Korea.

Koreans do not only visit stadiums to watch baseball. They go there to entertain themselves. Baseball games may bore people due to the long game. So, professional clubs provide outstanding food and events to hype the fans during their stay. SSG Landers' stadium has a barbeque zone where you can watch baseball games and eat delicious barbeque simultaneously. Also, most professional clubs hold fan signings or fan-meeting events to attract fans. Besides the unique seats and events, there is much more entertainment, making the KBO league beloved.

Since KBO’s first game in 1982, KBO has received love from fans. The cheering culture has brought a sense of camaraderie and belonging among fans. The cheering culture also made fans more immersed in the game. Also, fans can easily access the stadium watch compared to MLB. Lastly, eachclub flourished in the league with the entertainment that ten professional clubs provided. To flourish in the KBO league's future, clubs and players must reach out to fans more to flourish in the KBO league's future. They need to become fan-friendly and media-savvy players to attract new fans. With this improvement, KBO league's success can be a model for other sports leagues worldwide.