SPORTS in Korea
Whether participating or watching, Koreans are serious about their sports. Government, schools and businesses encourage exercise and fitness; and many grounds, and sports complexes have been established. The popular sports in Korea are soccer, baseball, basketball, and the traditional wrestling, ssireum. Many professional teams have been formed and star players are supported by large fan clubs. Contemporary Koreans also enjoy golf, skiing, badminton, swimming, aerobics, table tennis, bowling, squash and tennis. Moreover, the traditional Korean sports like taekwondo, judo (Yudo), and gungdo (archery) also command strong following and are taught to children as well to inculcate discipline and retain the cultural emphasis on ritual and courtesy.
TRADITIONAL KOREAN SPORTS
Taekwondo
The sport has been founded in Korea and is one of the popular modern martial arts. Taekwondo is an art of self defense that stresses sharpening of the mind and cultivating one’s character. With its focus on kicking, punching and blocking, it is similar to karate and kung fu.
Taekwondo is also a very good sport for children. They learn fast reactions, learn to respect others and know their abilities and disabilities. Among kids only kicks and punches to the body are allowed, no kicks to the head.
The modern form of Taekwondo is characterized by its fast, high and spinning kicks. In 1988 Olympics it became a demonstration sport. In 2000 Olympics in Sydney, taekwondo made its début as an official Olympic sport. The traditional martial art of taekwondo has spread to more than 165 countries and has an estimated adherence of more than 40 million worldwide.
Yudo (Judo)
In this sport, strangling, joint lock, and throwing techniques are used. During the period of the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C. to 937 A.D.), specific throwing techniques were developed for their Hwa Rang Do Warriors. Over a period of time, judo became very popular among the young as a sport.
The size of the attacker has no bearing on the ability of the defender to execute its techniques. This makes it popular among females and kids as well. Various judo training organizations have been created to govern in schools, colleges, universities, among the military and general public.
Ssireum (wrestling)
Ssireum competitions are tremendously popular spectator sports in Korea, so they are often held in large arenas or stadiums. It is a Korean-style wrestling that dates back to the Three Kingdom Period (pre-660 A.D). Through the years, it became a popular folk pastime, often practiced at festivals and celebrations. Today, ssireum is widely practiced in Korea, beginning in the public school system and continuing on through college and professional team competitions. Professional teams are sponsored by some of the largest companies in Korea.
Once the competition is under way, the wrestlers have three minutes to score a fall. The first to cause the other to fall is declared the winner. There are said to be 100 moves for throwing an opponent to the ground.
Gungdo (traditional archery)
Once a necessary element of hunting and war fare, this skill is now relegated to sport. In Gungdo a short double curved bow and an arrow is used to shoot at the target, positioned 145 meters (158 yards) away. Each contest consists of three rounds of five shots apiece.
Today there are over 300 traditional archery clubs in Korea; additionally, the philosophy and training of traditional archery have been transferred to modern Olympic-style archery, at which Korean athletes have gained international recognition and taken top positions in recent years. As a result, Korea is recognized as one of the strongest nations in the world in the field of archery.
MODERN SPORTS
Golf
Skill, practice luck and the right equipment combine to make this a sport that draws ever increasing crowds of spectators and players. There are more than 181 golf courses in Korea, the best ones located near Seoul, Kyongju and Chejudo. Facilities for accommodation and other sports (such as swimming pools) are often also integrated within the golf complex. Private courses mostly have memberships costing USD 100,000 to 300,000.
Baseball
Until the 1980s high school basket ball teams were the most popular events in South Korea. Then in 1982 a professional league was formed. All the teams are sponsored by large corporations and are located in different cities around the country. Baseball stadiums in Seoul are always packed with crowds whenever there are professional baseball league and nationwide high school baseball tournaments. There are more than 500 amateur baseball clubs in Korea.
Basketball
Basketball has a strong following in Korea and is popular among both men and women. Korean teams have a reputation of being among the best in Asia and have done great internationally. Since the formation of The Korean Professional Basketball League in 1997, this sport has gained immense following and now few foreign players have also been recruited to play in Korea.
Football (Soccer)
Professional football in Korea began in 1983 with two professional teams and three amateur teams. Now the league has ten teams and enjoys international status and fame. Enjoying record wins for international football matches among the Asian countries, Korea has qualified for World Cup finals six times.
Badminton
Popular throughout Asia, Korean singles and doubles players often make the finals in regional and world championships. At almost any outdoor recreation park, you can find many enthusiasts hitting a birdie back and forth.
Boxing
Today it is one of the most popular sports in Korea and is watched by millions of fans. During the Asian Games, more than half of the boxing championships have been won by Korean boxers.
Field Hockey
It has its origins in the traditional Korean sport played on horseback in the 11th century. Since 1947 when the first modern hockey tournament was played, Korean hockey has developed rapidly with Korea taking top positions in many Asian and Olympic games.
Table Tennis
There is great enthusiasm for table tennis in Korea. The sport is learned by children from a very early age and nearly every one plays it with some skill. Korean players also perform well in international competitions like Asian and Olympic Games in all the categories.
Tennis
Initially it was played by women, college students and young executives. Now there are numerous private courts in cities. Public courts are found at municipal parks and schools.
As a result of social changes accompanied by economic growth, sports especially leisure sports have become increasingly popular among Koreans. Now bowling and skating are also gaining popularity; and the number of indoor skating rinks and bowling alleys is fast growing. The Asian Games and the Olympics have also brought attention to other sports such as gymnastics, weightlifting, handball, shooting, and track-and-field events as well.
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