{"id":79751,"date":"2024-03-13T03:07:30","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T07:07:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/sports-in-korean\/"},"modified":"2025-01-29T01:04:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T06:04:21","slug":"sports-in-korean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/korean\/sports-in-korean\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate List of Korean Sports Vocabulary"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re to follow the sports trends and icons that hail from Korea, it’s helpful to know the basic vocabulary involved.<\/p>\n

Here are the most popular \uc2a4\ud3ec\uce20<\/strong> \u2014 sports in Korea, plus essential vocabulary for discussing teams, players and more.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]
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Popular Sports in South Korea<\/h2>\n

\uc57c\uad6c \u2014 Baseball<\/h3>\n

Baseball was exposed to South Korea around the year 1900 due to United States influence.\u00a0Because of the restrictions on when baseball could be played during the country’s eventual occupation by Japan, the sport unofficially became a symbol of Korean nationalism.<\/p>\n

Modern Korean baseball is famous for its cheering culture<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Forget off-key chants, whoops and crowd waves. South Koreans take it a step further by basically making a cheer session into a concert, complete with catchy songs and choreographed dancers. Each team has its own unique cheer, too!<\/p>\n

\ucd95\uad6c \u2014 Soccer<\/h3>\n

Soccer has taken the Korean world by storm as the second most popular sport in the country<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It’s not hard to see why when you take a gander at the records of some of the Korean soccer players<\/a> that are making international waves, such as Son Heung Min, Kim Min Jae and Lee Kang In.<\/p>\n

But even before these idols took to the field, soccer has been a favorite for Koreans since the 1980s and 90s as the country built a reputation for being one of\u2014if not the best\u2014Asian football teams around.<\/p>\n

There is still much pride for the national team, the \ud0dc\uadf9\uc804\uc0ac (Taegeuk Warriors).<\/p>\n

\ubc30\uad6c \u2014 Volleyball<\/h3>\n

Volleyball is readily accessible, which is a big reason why it’s so widely played throughout South Korea both recreationally and competitively.<\/p>\n

Women’s volleyball in particular has been of keen interest, with Kim Yeon Koung<\/a> being one of the most memorable players to date. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, women’s volleyball was the most watched sport by the Korean populace.<\/p>\n

The Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) is the Korean governing group for professional competitions for the sport. It runs the KOVO Cup and V-League competitions within the country.<\/p>\n

\uace8\ud504 \u2014 Golf<\/h3>\n

Go to your local golf club, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you see one or two Koreans decked out in the latest and shiniest gear. And because of its priciness, golf is commonly considered a symbol of status.<\/p>\n

South Korea’s landscape is surprisingly suitable for hosting unique golf courses. Currently, there are over 500 courses on the peninsula<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While the sport is popular for both Korean men and women, Korean female golfers have really taken to the international circuit, winning both esteem and prizes in LPGA championships.<\/p>\n

E-\uc2a4\ud3ec\uce20 \u2014 E-sports<\/h3>\n

We’re not talking about your casual Candy Crush-ers here. To be involved in e-sports, you can’t just like video games. You have to passionately know the ins-and-outs of the game’s mechanics and dedicate a significant amount of time to honing your skills.<\/p>\n

The e-sports boom is a relatively recent phenomenon, but it’s made its roots in South Korea just as in other countries. The game that started the trend a few years ago was the smash-hit StarCraft.<\/p>\n

As of 2024, League of Legends has become the top competitive game, with the unshakeable “Faker” being its most prolific Korean e-athlete<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud0dc\uad8c\ub3c4 \u2014 Taekwondo<\/h3>\n

The showy aspect of taekwondo involves people in white outfits and colored belts jumping in the air to mercilessly kick helpless pieces of wood to smithereens.<\/p>\n

But it’s more than just fancy wood-breaking. Taekwondo is a martial art that emphasizes integrity, honor and respect. I would know, as I took taekwondo classes in my younger years and gained more discipline from my instructors than from my own parents.<\/p>\n

Taekwondo is the revered national sport of South Korea<\/a>, used for both recreational and combat purposes. It’s become incredibly popular outside the country’s borders as well, being one of the newest martial arts sports officially included in the Olympic games<\/a>.<\/p>\n

More Sports in Korean<\/h2>\n

Ball Sports in Korean<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

While baseball and soccer are still the undisputed kings of ball-based sports in South Korea, many others that aren’t set in the dirt and green are actively played and appreciated. There are both passionate clubs and national teams for all of the sports listed below.<\/p>\n