Sport in South Korea

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South Korea has some traditional sports of its own, but sports imported from the West are predominant. Popular sports include hiking, football, baseball, basketball, swimming, athletics, and boxing.

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[edit] Traditional sports

There are various forms of folk dancing still practiced in Korea. Although not commonly considered a sport, traditional mask dance drama is physically demanding[1].

Kite flying is considered a sport in East Asia[2]. Kites are flown during the first few days of the Lunar New Year and Chuseok. It is not, however, a major league sport as it is in Thailand[3]. The traditional Korean kite is made of bamboo sticks and traditional Korean paper[4].

Bull fighting (So Ssa-eum) in Korea features two bulls fighting each other. The bulls butt heads and attempt to push the opponent backwards. The first bull to move backwards loses the game[5].

Korean wrestling (Ssireum) is similar to Sumo wrestling from Japan. Korean wrestling is played in a sandy ring, and the contender who throws his opponent to the ground wins a point[6].

[edit] Sports originating from Korea

Taekwondo, a popular martial art originated in Korea. Taekwondo means technique of kicking and punching, although the emphasis lies on the kicks. Even though it was practiced for centuries—its origins have been traced as far back as the 1st century BC[7]—it only became popular after World War II. It became standard military training in korea, and in 1961 the rules were standardized[8].

Taekkyeon is a traditional martial art that originated in Korea during the Goguryeo period in the 4th century[9]. It uses open hands and the feet, whereas the use of clenched fists is not permitted. The motions are smoother and more curvilinear than Taekwondo[10].

Hapkido is another martial art from Korea, although not as popular as Taekwondo outside the peninsula. Hapkido developed during the Three Kingdoms and shares many characteristics with the Japanese Aikido.[11].

[edit] Popular sports

Popular throughout Asia, Badminton is played by many Koreans. Badminton nets can be found in many outdoor recreation parks. Korean players often reach the finals in regional and world championships[12].

Baseball in Korea is well developed, and there are a number of professional baseball teams owned by the large conglomerates (chaebols). There are some foreign players in the Korean Basketball League[13]. Another US sport that has become very popular in South Korea is basketball. Just like with baseball, there are a number of professional basketball teams owned by the chaebols. Basketball did not get popular in Korea until recently, because the shorter elder generations were disadvantaged in the game[14].

Bowling is a popular sport in South Korea, with many local leagues. Computerized systems are commonplace[15]. There is a darts league in Seoul, but the sport is still relatively uncommon amongst Koreans—although popular with the expatriate Western population.

Fishing and hiking are common activities in South Korea. Fishing is popular in streams, rivers, and the oceans. There are arranged fishing tours[16]. Hiking in the Korean mountains is very popular, and weekend after weekend popular areas fill with people.

Golf is very popular in South Korea. It is often thought that this is linked to the fact that golf is considered a status symbol[17]. Membership in golf clubs in South Korea is considerably cheaper than in Japan or the US, with the effect that golf is more popular. South Korea is especially strong in women's golf; 45 Koreans play on the world's leading women's tour, the LPGA tour in the United States. The best-known Korean golfer is Pak Se-ri[18].

Scuba diving is popular on Jeju island.

Korea is home to a number of good downhill skiing slopes. Snowboarding was not allowed in most resorts until recently.

Football is a very popular sport in Korea. There's a professional football league called K-League. In the 2002 World Cup, South Korea reached 4th place in the competition.

Table tennis is popular in South Korea[19]. There are minor leagues in many universities.

[edit] Popular Professional Sports

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[edit] Baseball

[edit] Basketball

[edit] Football

[edit] Major sport events

[edit] Olympic Games

The Olympic Games were held in Seoul in 1988.

[edit] Football Worldcup

The 2002 FIFA World Cup was held in Korea and Japan. It was quite popular. More than 7 million Koreans came to the streets and supported their team in the semifinals, where they played Germany.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • ↑  "Kite Flying as a Sport". Britannica Student Encyclopedia (Online). (2005).
  • ↑  Sport. Retrieved on July 23, 2005.
  • ↑  "Korea: Education, Recreation, and Welfare". Britannica Student Encyclopedia (Online). (2005).
  • ↑  Traditional Sports and Games. Retrieved on July 23, 2005.
  • ↑  Korean Folk Village (2000). Korean Traditional Culture: Scents of Korean Traditional Culture. Lee Sang-So. ISBN 89-951216-2-9. 
  • ↑  "Martial art: Taekwondo". Encyclopædia Britannica (Online). (2005).
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