The Most Popular Sports in South Korea
The Top 7 Sports in South Korea By Popularity
South Korea has a rich sports history and culture.
Unlike North Korea, with a tightly controlled and isolated economy, South Korea is one of the world's most productive countries, with a substantial sports economy!
South Korea has a population of 51,744,876 people. Seoul is the capital city of South Korea, with over 9,733,000 inhabitants.
Seoul is a modern and well-developed city, offering every sport imaginable, from baseball and football to Taekwondo and swimming.
Although Koreans have a rich sports history, the Joseon dynasty opened strategic relationships with the rest of the world in the late 19th century.
This new policy on international relations introduced modern sports with well-established laws and well-structured systems.
For instance, the Korean government made efforts to implement physical education as an integral part of the school curriculum.
Since then, South Koreans have been thriving in many different sports. In this article, we will discuss the 7 most popular sports in South Korea.
Read on to find out more about the sports South Koreans love most
1. Baseball
Baseball is the most popular sport in South Korea.
It gained recognition in the early 1980s, and about 62% of the country's population say baseball is their favourite sport.
The KBO League is widely recognised in the country, with 10 franchises.
Professional baseball players in South Korea earn between 1 and 2.5 billion (South Korean Won) annually, making it the highest-paid sports industry in East Asia.
The Kia Tigers are South Korea's most popular and successful team, winning numerous championships in the country's 4 decades of baseball history.
The Doosan Bears, another famous South Korean team, has had the highest winning rate since 2018.
South Koreans love watching baseball and the KBO League is considered their favourite sports season.
The number of South Koreans who watch the KBO league has increased 4 times since 2018.
The number of games has also increased since 2018, which is the primary reason behind baseball's success in South Korea.
The government has made substantial efforts to promote baseball in South Korea.
They have established modern sports complexes, organised leagues/tournaments and facilitated young players at school and college level to play baseball.
2. Football
Research shows that football is the second-most popular sport in South Korea, and the most popular sport in the world.
The county co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with Japan. It was the most successful World Cup for South Korea, as the team reached the semi-finals, achieving a fourth position in the tournament.
Some of the most famous South Korean footballers who have thrived at the national and international level are:
Son Heung-min
Park Ji-Sung
Cha Bum-Kun
Professional footballers participate in South Korea's domestic K-League and overseas seasons/competitions.
Over 41% of people in South Korea watch and enjoy football, making it the second most popular sport in the country after baseball.
The K-League is Asia's second-most popular football league after Japan's League.
Multinational companies, including Posco, Samsung, Hyundai and others, are sponsors of the K-League, making it incredibly successful.
Other factors, such as world-class stadiums inherited from the 2002 FIFA World Cup, foreign players, including Brazilians, and affordable tickets, also play a substantial role in K-League's success.
Check out all of our football articles
3. Basketball
Basketball is another popular sport in South Korea.
It gained recognition in the 1990s, as the country's youth became more inclined towards the sport.
However, basketball's popularity decreased due to the influx of sponsorship deals for baseball and football. Still, it is among the most followed sports in South Korea.
The Korea Basketball League has been hosting professional teams since 1997, and 10 teams compete in 54 matches during the annual season.
Although the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the 2020 season, the league attracted over 641,900 spectators to 205 games.
The South Korean National Basketball team has won 25 medals at the Asian Basketball Championship, making it the most successful team in Asia.
Ha Seung-Jin was the only South Korean player who played in the NBA, for the Portland Trail Blazers between 2004 and 2006.
Head to our NBA blog for more!
4. Taekwondo
Taekwondo, created in 1955, is South Korea's national sport and it is deeply rooted in the country's culture, traditions and values.
Taekwondo embodies South Korean modesty, respect, character and professionalism. In fact, it is a symbol of combined traditional and modern sport in South Korea.
South Koreans consider Taekwondo an integral part of their lives, believing that this sport connects their minds, bodies and spirits.
That's why South Korea has more than 13 thousand martial arts studios, including specialist Taekwondo facilities.
Taekwondo is part of extracurricular activities in educational institutions, allowing the sports department to promote this sport and recruit talented players to represent the country at the international level.
South Korea has won 28 Olympic gold medals, including:
12 Gold Medals
3 Silver Medals
7 Bronze Medals
South Korea has more than 100,000 active Taekwondo athletes; 15,000 of these are professional Taekwondoins, participating in national and international competitions.
South Korea registered 3.49 million 1st Dan Blackbelt Certificates in Jan 2023.
In comparison, other countries registered 574 thousand of 1st Dan Blackbelt certificates, showing that South Korea continues to dominate Taekwondo.
5. Badminton
Although badminton is the most popular sport in Indonesia, South Korea is not far behind.
South Koreans, young and old, play and enjoy this sport passionately and enthusiastically.
When you visit South Korea, you see lots of people playing badminton, including children. In fact, you’ll find a badminton net in almost every recreational park.
That's why South Koreans are among the most skilled and successful badminton players, often reaching the finals in international competitions.
For instance, Lee Yong-Dee, a renowned South Korean badminton player, won the 2008 Olympic championship medal.
Famous South Korean badminton players include:
Lee Hyo-Jung: 2008 Olympic gold medallist
Ko Sung Hyun: BWF World Champion and Asian Games gold medallist
Yoo Yeon Seong: Former world number one
Jung Jae-Sung: Former world number one in doubles
Moreover, 27% of people between 13 and 18 play badminton at school and college.
The number of youth players who enjoy playing badminton has increased by 11% compared to pre-pandemic figures.
6. Golf
Golf is another popular sport in South Korea.
Although golf is not as popular as baseball, football and Taekwondo- it has greatly contributed to the country's economy.
Statistical data shows that the golf market in South Korea reached a whopping 13 trillion South Korean in 2019, and this figure is predicted to grow 2 more times by 2025.
South Korea has produced world-class golf players, including female golfers, who have won several national-level championships.
For instance, Inbee Park has won several titles, including:
U.S Women's Open (2008)
Evian Masters (2012)
Honda LPGA Thailand (2013)
Manulife Financial LPGA Classic (2014)
KPMG Women's PGA Championship (2015)
HSBC Women's Championships (2017)
Bank of Hope Founders Cup (2018)
ISPS Women's Australian Open (2020)
Kia Classic (2021)
In addition to professional golf, South Koreans have dominated Screen golf, a virtual simulation-based golf enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people throughout the country.
Golfzon, a famous screen golf company, generated over 440 billion in revenue.
7. Volleyball
South Koreans love playing and enjoying volleyball, due to its diversity.
They believe volleyball is affordable because it only requires a court, a net and a ball.
South Korea launched the volleyball league (V-League) in 2005 with men's and women's divisions.
Each division has 7 clubs and hundreds of professional volleyball players.
The Korea Volleyball Association is the country's governing body for volleyball.
It collaborates with the Korean Sports and Olympic Committee to promote volleyball, organise tournaments and recruit professional players, including men and women.
South Korea's men's national volleyball team has participated in several international competitions, including the Olympic games.
It won 3 gold medals at the 1978, 2002 and 2006 Asia Games.
South Korean Sport is Flourishing
Sport is an integral part of modern South Korean culture.
Whether traditional sports, such as martial arts and Taekwondo, or sports from other countries, the South Korean government, sports departments and sponsoring companies have made substantial efforts to enrich the sports industry.
The performance of South Korean athletes and people's interest in sports have made South Korea a passionate and enthusiastic sporting nation.
