Football and Baseball have traditionally been regarded as the most popular sports in Korea.

[1] Recent
polling indicates that a majority, 41% of South Korean sports fans continue to self-identify as football
fans, with baseball ranked 2nd at 25% of respondents. However, the polling did not indicate the
extent to which respondents follow both sports.[2] The national football team became the first team in
the Asian Football Confederation to reach the FIFA World Cup semi-finals in the 2002 FIFA World
Cup, jointly hosted by South Korea and Japan.

FIFA World Cup[edit]

The 2002 FIFA World Cup was held in Korea and Japan with extreme success. More
than 10 million Koreans came to the streets to support their team in the semifinals
against Germany.
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South
Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia,
and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics, South Korea won the Bronze Medal for football.

South Korea, which competes internationally under the name of "Korea Republic",
has qualified for nine FIFA World Cups including the most recent 2014 tournament
(Asian record), and co-hosted the 2002 World Cup, finishing in 4th place. Also in
2010, the country's under-17 women's team won the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's
World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago.
Baseball is another one of the most popular sports in South Korea. It was introduced in 1905 by
American missionaries and carries a strong following today. Professional teams owned by large
conglomerates (chaebols) compete in the Korea Professional Baseball league. Korea won the Gold
Medal in baseball at the 2008 Olympic Games. Korea is also a regular participant in the World
Baseball Classic, and is considered one of the best baseball countries in international competition.
Several Korean players have gone on to play inMajor League Baseball.
Another sport gaining popularity in South Korea is basketball. Professional basketball teams
compete in the Korean Basketball League. The South Korea national basketball team won a record
number of 23 medals at the Asian Basketball Championship. The only Korean NBA player to date
has been Ha Seung-Jin who played there in 2005-06. Another prominent Korean basketball player
is Moon Tae-Jong who appeared at the 2005 and 2006 FIBA EuroCup All-Star Day.
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.[4] Bowling is a popular sport in South Korea, with many local leagues. Computerized
systems are commonplace.
Fishing and hiking are common activities in South Korea. Fishing is popular in streams, rivers, and
the oceans. There are arranged fishing tours.[6] 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[7]. Membership in golf clubs in South Korea is considerably more

expensive than in Japan or the US. South Korea is especially strong in women's golf; 47 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

Rugby union is played to some degree in South Korea, with the Korean team being currently ranked
24th in the world (as of March 2015) in the current IRB world rankings. Korea have been
participating in the Asian Five Nations since 2008 with a 3rd-place finish in 2014. Most of South
Korea's national rugby team players play their club rugby in Japan as South Korea doesn't have a
professional league. South Korea are also competing in the current Rugby sevens world league
hoping to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games.
E-sports have found a strong home in South Korea, StarCraft professional competition being the
largest example of these. Major corporate sponsored teams and leagues have formed in e-Sports,
the most notable leagues being the OnGameNet Starleague, the MBCGame StarCraft League
(retired), and Proleague. The Korean e-Sports Association, an arm of the Ministry of Culture, Sports
and Tourism, was founded in 2000 to promote and regulate esports in the country.