In September 1981 the government won the bid to host the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul and the pro baseball league was launched in March of the following year. Professional baseball took off amid controversy that it was used as a political tool to turn people's attention away from the harsh rule of the Chun Doo-hwan administration. However, people turned around after watching the sportsmanship and athletic skills of professional baseball players, and baseball became Korean people's all-time favorite past-time. In the following year Korea saw the birth of different professional sports leagues, such as ssireum and soccer. Professional sports eventually became the stepping stones for Korea on its way to becoming a top player in the global sports scene