Sports in South Korea, Pt. 1 - Introduction to South Korea's Sports Culture

While South Korea is known for its rapid advancements in technology, as well as its globalizing popularity in the entertainment industry (television, film, and music), the sports culture in South Korea is a whole other ball game. The most popular sports in South Korea are baseball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and Esports — in which they have their own professional leagues — but there are other sports that Koreans participate in such as taekwondo, judo, golf, skiing, and so many others.

The best part about South Korea’s development in sports is that they are always looking for ways to improve the sports culture itself, which is just purely outstanding. For example, universities in South Korea offer degree programs such as physical education and sports science, where you can learn areas from sports sociology to sports medicine. Another example of how South Korea is demonstrating the improvement of their sports culture is through Korea’s Institute of Sports Science, where they are dedicated to improving sports leadership practices to make sure they are developing athletes with the utmost care both on and off the court/field. In addition, Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism department has also been researching for ways to cultivate a leading program within the sports industry. In a way, South Korea has emphasized the significance of sports in their culture, as it not only brings people together through one common interest, but it also demonstrates how beautiful teamwork can be, as well as how there are many different ways where exercising can actually be fun.

Please look forward to the second part of this four part mini-series, where we will give you an insight in the world of sports fans in South Korea.