The pictures above speak for themselves.
It was an absolute joy to meet this group of energetic, kind and compassionate Korean kids. From playing tug-of-war to talking about the Charlotte Hornets, I connected with everyone and held lengthy conversations with many despite their limited English.
Our day started with an informative lecture by a Sungkyunkwan University professor (Pyun) on the current state of the Korean sports industry. We discussed the history of Korean sports and topics such as individualism vs. collectivism in last week's lecture, but it was eye-opening to hear new insights into how leagues such as the KBO and K-League are currently operating. First, I learned that KBO revenues are currently around $50 million, which is less than 10% of U.S. and European teams. KBO teams also receive around $10-15 million in annual support from their parent corporations. Another interesting fact I learned is that concessions aren’t owned by KBO teams; Seoul itself runs the venue and has contracts with vendors. In addition, Seoul decides which items are sold at stadiums and enforces regulations to ensure prices don’t get too high. Overall, broadcast revenue is rapidly increasing due to the increasing number of channels available to watch games – just as we see in the US with the growth of Peacock and Prime Video.
In the lecture, Professor Pyun also discussed different types of revenues. I learned that game-day revenues include gate revenues from ticket sales, facility-based revenues from concessions and other game-related activities. In terms of annual revenue per team, the NFL makes a lot of money from U.S. markets, while the NBA and MLB rely more on media revenue than on gameday revenue.
One aspect of Korean sports culture I found surprising is that nobody pays attention to college athletics in South Korea. I wasn’t expecting students to pack stadiums like Syracuse fans pack the Dome, but also wasn’t expecting a response of “I don’t care,” when I asked a Korean student about college athletics. I feel watching sports teams with friends creates a sense of belonging and community, so it was interesting to hear that even Sports Science majors couldn’t care less about them.
After the lecture, I met a Korean kid named Josh. I asked Josh questions about his daily routine, classes and hobbies. While many of the other people I met were undergraduate students studying sports science, Josh was a 29-year-old master's student. I forgot what he studies, but he takes two classes per day.
Following this, it was time for a delicious lunch. We had the option to choose between beef tartare and pork, and I chose pork. Unlike Syracuse dining halls, it was a fulfilling meal and fueled me up for the day. More importantly, I talked to a Korean student named Lee about the NBA and specifically the Charlotte Hornets. I mentioned I was a Knicks fan, and he knew Jalen Brunson. I was surprised by how much he knew about the league, but it made for a solid conversation.
Then we went to play sports games with the university students in a gym. It was SWELTERING, and I was exhausted, but it was an enriching experience. We played games such as tug-of-war, dodgeball and flip the tile over for up to three hours. We also split into four teams (red, purple, blue, green) and I was on the red team, where I sadly finished in last place. Even though I came in last, I still had a blast with the students and even exchanged Instagrams with 10 kids afterward at dinner.
We finished dinner around 7 and headed back to the hotel, which concluded our trip in Seoul. From learning about the Korean language and K League to spending time with these students, I'll always cherish the memories I made during the week. Now, off to China.
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