(PLEASE NOTE: this Spectator Sports Guide is still very much a work in progress. If you have any additions and corrections, please send them along to devon@haeundae.busan.kr)

Introduction

Behind the false, one-dimensional facade of Koreans as a people who engage simply in working, drinking, and sleeping, lies an extremely rich tapestry of sporting culture. Koreans have been practicing such sports as archery and wrestling for thousands of years, helping sport to become an integral part of Korea's traditional culture.

As disposable income has rapidly increased among average South Koreans in recent decades, the role of sport has taken a much more prominent position in everyday Korean life. Already more than 40 sports enjoy official government sanctioning, and dozens of others are currently jockeying for attention within what has become a crowded sporting realm. There are likely at least several sports enjoyed in Korea that you've never even heard of before, such as handball, soft tennis, and sepak takraw (foot volleyball).

Four professional sports leagues exist in Korea at present: baseball, football (aka soccer), men's basketball, and women's basketball. A fifth league may be in the works, as Korea and Japan are currently considering forming a joint professional ice-hockey league.

Links:

• Korea Times sports news (in English)

• Korea Herald sports news (in English)

• Chosun Ilbo sports news (in English)

• Dong-A Ilbo sports news (in English)
  

Baseball

Baseball is by far the most popular spectator sport in Korea, having been in the country since 1905. The quality of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has improved dramatically in recent years, as the influx of Koreans into Major League Baseball (MLB) in North America attests to. Park Chanho of the Texas Rangers, and Kim Byunghyun of the Arizona Diamondbacks are just two of a slew of former KBO stars who now ply their trade in MLB.

Busan is home to the Lotte Giants, one of the premier clubs of the KBO. A day out at the ballpark in Busan promises a unique experience: a fix of baseball for those who are suffering from withdrawl; the chance to pig out on dried squid, soju and other Korean foods, in addition to the regular North American ballpark fare; and even a team of rambunctious cheerleaders to help pass the more dull moments.

The Giants play at Sajik Stadium in Sajikdong. The KBO seasons runs for six and a half months, beginning in mid-March and wrapping up in late September. Ticket prices range from 3,000-8,000 won. For a map of the area, click here. The following buses go to Sajik Stadium: 10, 35, 39, 44, 44-1, 50, 57, 80, 111, 111-1, 111-2, 131, 131-1, 135, 157, 157-1, 89, 189-1, 210, 301, and 306. There is an official baseball telephone infoline, available by dialing 700-1600.

While the offical website of the Giants is almost solely in Korean, there is a lot of information available for those willing to explore the site. One trick is to put your mouse over the options on the website's menu bar, and you'll notice your browser's status bar will note what most of the pages are about in English. In addition to a useful schedule of games (including which are televised), there is also game commentary via internet streaming audio. Unfortunately this requires registering in Korean, and a Korean national identity number. Your best bet is to get a Korean friend to register for you. Listening to game audio is a fun method of improving your Korean listening skills, so give it a go!

Links:

• Photos and video from Pweb's trip to the ballpark

• Lotte Giants official website (in Korean)

• Lotte Giants schedule (in Korean)

• Stadium directions and video (in Korean)

• Detailed ticket information (in Korean)

• KBO official website (in Korean)

• Baseball-Korea.net (in Korean)

• Online store with KBO merchandise (in Korean)

• Korean baseball movie: "YMCA Baseball Team", 2002 (info in English)

Football (aka Soccer)

Korea's professional football league, the K-League, was founded in 1983, making it the oldest football league in Eastern Asia. The K-League recently concluded its 20th season, and is currently enjoying a period of transition and excitement, thanks to the after-effects of the 2002 World Cup, the creation of several new state-of-the-art stadia, two new expansion clubs for the 2003 season, and a revamped season format that mirrors the norm of world football.

As of 2003, the regular season begins in March and lasts through to November. Each of the 12 K-League clubs will play all the other teams four times in the league, two at home and two on the road, for a combined total of 44 regular season games. Additionally, the FA Cup, which was once a post-season competition, will now be spread throughout regular league play. Korea's FA Cup is noted for its numerous upsets, with amateur clubs frequently defeating their professional K-League rivals.

The Busan I'cons are one of the six founding K-League clubs from 1983. Formerly known as the "Daewoo Royals", the club was sold to Hyundai during Korea's period of economic turbulence in the late 1990s, and subsequently renamed the "I'cons". Busan have won the K-League title four times (1984, 1987, 1991, 1997), were the first club to win the now-discontinued Korean League Cup (winning the "double" in 1997), and lifted the Asian Club Championship back in 1986. Only current K-League title-holders Seongnam have hoisted the K-League championship more times than Busan.

After finishing the 2002 season in ninth place, or next-to-last, the I'cons have decided to employ the help of a foreign managerial and coaching staff. Former Chelsea manager Ian Porterfield has been signed as the club's new gaffer, while long-time Aberdeen resident Drew Jarvie has become head coach. A second Colombian and Serbian have also been added to this year's roster: striker Tommy Mosquera Lozano (a former Colombian u23) adds some much-needed height to Busan's attack, and defensive midfielder Simic has been brought in to help fortify the club's back-line. The influx of foreign talent seems to have done some good, as Busan went on to win a four-club pre-season tournament between Korean, Japanese, and Chinese sides in early February 2003.

As of the 2003 season, the I'cons will be moving away from Gudeok Stadium, and will make Busan Asiad Stadium their new home. Asiad is one of the several new stadia built for the 2002 World Cup, and also featured as the prime venue during the recent 2002 Asian Games in Busan. The stadium has a capacity of 54,534, and (unfortunately for football fans) has a track between the pitch and the seating.

A foreign supporters club for the I'cons has been launched: be sure to visit the website and forum. The supporters club meets up on match days, heads to pubs before and/or after the games, sings during the match, and even joins the Korean supporters on the I'cons supporters bus for away-day fixtures. For those of you missing the "European" footie experience, this supporters club will come as a welcome reprieve.

Links:

• Busan I'cons Foreign Supporters Club

• Busan I'cons message board (in English)

• Korean Football message board (in English)

• Korean-Football.com (in English)

• Busan Asiad Stadium showcase (includes virtual tour, gallery, features, etc.)

• Stadium video clips (in English)

• Stadium location in regards to Busan subway lines and overall city layout (in English)

• Map of area immediately surrounding stadium (in English)

• Busan I'cons official website (in Korean)

• Official I'cons supporters club - Pride of Pusan (in Korean)

• How to join Pride of Pusan (in Korean)

• K-League official website (in Korean)
  

Basketball

Basketball is one of the most popular spectator sports in Korea, enjoying not one but two professional leagues: the Korean Basketball League (KBL) and the Women's Korean Basketball League (WKBL). Unfortunately, Busan does not have a team in either league.

The KBL has eight clubs, the closest to Busan being in Changwon (to the west), Ulsan (to the north), and Daegu (to the northwest). Daegu are the reigning 2001-2002 KBL champions. The KBL's season lasts approximately five and a half months, from late October until early March.

The WKBL is the only professional women's basketball league in the world, other than the WNBA in the US. WKBL clubs are each allowed to employ two foreign players, and thus each team's roster duly features two foreigners, usually Americans. Quite often these foreigners have had experience in the WNBA, or have recently graduated from university/college in the US, and are using the WKBL as a stepping stone toward joining the WNBA.

Six clubs make up the WKBL, five of which are concentrated in the northwest of the country. The closest club to Busan is in Gwangju (often romanized as "Kwangju"), in the southwest of Korea. The WKBL season is three months in duration, running from January through March.

Keep in mind that while attending live KBL/WKBL means a trip to another city outside of Busan, many Korean basketball games are broadcast on Korean TV. Included below are schedules of televised KBL/WKBL games.

KBL Links:

• KBL schedule (in English)

• KBL TV schedule (in mixed English/Korean)

• KBL official website (small English section)

• Changwon LG Sakers official website (small English section) and email address

• Ulsan Mobis Automons official website (small English section) and email address

• Daegu Tongyang Orions official website (mostly in Korean) and email address

WKBL Links:

• WKBL official website (in Korean) and email address

• WKBL schedule (in Korean)

• WKBL TV schedule (in Korean)

• WKBL photo gallery

• WKBL video clips

• Kwangju Shinsegae Coolcat official website (in Korean)

• Coolcat player information (in Korean)

• Coolcat photo gallery (check out those hideous uniforms!)

Other Sports

In addition to the four professional leagues, there are also heaps of other sports in Korea. Some are naturally more geared toward participation rather than spectating, but they're almost all included below anyway.

Most of these smaller sports don't have much of an English-language presence in Korea, but you'll never know what you'll find until you dig deep enough. Sending off an English email to the official Korean body of a particular sport may or may not work... good luck!

This guide was written by Devon Rowcliffe
devon@haeundae.busan.kr

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