Zach Siegel 5/13 - Lectures, K-League, & a Palace Tour in Hanbok

    Today was our first full day on the trip! We started our day with the complimentary hotel breakfast, which I must admit is significantly nicer than any hotel breakfast I've ever had in the states. After that, we took a quick walk over to a classroom, where we did lectures on both Globalization in Sport and the History of Korea. There has been a significant push from American sports leagues in recent years to expand to international markets, and it was incredible to learn how successful these programs have been. A lot of the major sports leagues in America have focused their efforts on European markets, so it will be interesting to see how successful they can be if they switch their focus to Asian markets, where sports is growing faster than anywhere else in the world.

    After our lectures, we had a chance to go explore the city a bit and find lunch. There are a lot of small shops all over that sell food, so the options are plentiful. I ended up going to a random place that served noodle soup and dumplings. It was super good, and the best part is how cheap it was. The amount of food I got would probably cost over $25 in America, but it cost less than $15 at this restaurant. That's something that has been great throughout the trip, with things like bottles of water costing less than $1 at a convenience store.

    Our next stop was a visit with the K-League, the top soccer league in Korea. We got to learn about their history, governing structure, and the unique aspects about their league. Some of the more interesting facts that they shared was the role that both the government and major companies play in running these teams. A large majority of the teams are run either by the local government or by the chaebols, which are major companies like Samsung and LG who the government asks to help support various activities such as sports. The control the chaebols and the government has on the sport can lead to interesting dynamics when it comes to revenue streams, but it does also provide a relatively stable baseline for the league to work around. K-League is actively working to expand their brand & outreach, and it was really exciting to hear about what they are working on.

    After this, we went and rented traditional Hanbok attire from a nearby store to wear on our tour of the famous Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was the main home of the royals of Korea for over 600 years. Renting and wearing Hanbok attire is an extremely popular part of the tour experience, as it allows you free access to the palace grounds. The clothing was super beautiful and surprisingly breathable in the heat. Taking in the beautiful grounds was a one-of-a-kind experience that can't be express in words; you could feel the rich history and culture all around.

    Next was dinner! We walked over to Tongin Market, a local food market where a bunch of different food vendors sell their product. The food there was super good and super cheap, which made for an extremely enjoyable meal. Everyone split off during dinner, enjoying the different foods that the market had to offer. The group I was with ended up walking around the city and exploring the different stores and markets before finally turning in for the night. It was an incredible day filled with good food, amazing clothing, informative meetings & lectures, and a beautiful city filled with amazing people and rich culture. I'm super excited to see what the rest of our trip has in store!