Whether you love watching or playing, Seoul offers a series of sporting activities you can directly participate or share in the experience.

Baseball is undeniably one of Korea’s most popular sports and Seoul is home to three professional teams. In Seoul the best place to catch the passionate fervor of their diehard fans is at Jamsil Baseball Stadium which also happens to be Korea’s first baseball stadium. You can check the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) homepage for details on teams, players, and schedules or www.homeplate.kr for detailed info on upcoming games. Purchasing tickets before games on site is probably the easiest method for non-Korean speakers. Make sure you bring some cash to enjoy the delicious snacks, food, and beer!

The other top sport in Korea is football (also known as soccer) and the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Sangamdong is where Seoul’s professional football matches are played. You can check the FC Seoul homepage for information on upcoming matches and ticket prices. The energy and passion of the diehard fans is infectious so make sure to soak it in!

The Korean martial arts of taekwondo is now a global sport and Seoul is a great place to learn it. The Namsangol Hanok Village offers a Taekwondo Experience Program that teaches basic self-defense, move demonstrations, and impressive performances. The International Kumgang Taekwondo Center in Mokdong is also for foreigners and offers small and large group sessions.
Seoul also has a range of public sports facilities around the city that can be used including tennis, basketball, and racquetball courts. The location of these courts, operating times, and any associated fees or reservations required can be verified through the Seoul city homepage. There are also seasonal activities that are open to the public including watersports such as wakeboarding on the Han River in summer and ice skating in the Seoul City Plaza in winter. Again, check the Seoul homepage for more information.

And speaking of winter, for ski and snowboarders you’ll be happy to know that, while Seoul itself doesn’t have any slopes, most mountains and resorts are only an hour or two away from Seoul. Best of all, many resorts operate shuttle buses that take you roundtrip from Seoul and back making it easy for snow lovers to get in their fix.
Bikers should take advantage of the bike lanes along the Han River and along some of the city’s streams like Tancheon or Anyangcheon. The city has also steadily increased the number of public bike rental facilities around Seoul if you want to explore the city on bike.

Hikers and mountain climbers are spoiled for choice as mountains like Bukhansan, Gwanaksan, and Bugaksan all have trails of varying difficulties that will appeal to nature lovers. And speaking of trails, don’t miss out on the beautiful Dullaegil paths or the Seoul City Wall trails that are an excellent combination of nature and history to your regular workout.
Public parks like Namsan Park, Olympic Park, Yeouido Park, and the World Cup Park attracts groups and individuals of all ages and backgrounds on a daily basis. In addition to featuring trails for joggers and walkers they hold public exercise and stretching equipment. Standard gyms, yoga studios, indoor golf ranges, swimming pools, and other exercise facilities are common throughout the city and many often offer day or week rates for short term visitors.

And lastly, if you’re wanting to simply cheer on some of your favorite teams in major international matches, sports bars and pubs are found in areas like Hongdae, Gangnam, and many particularly in the Itaewon area. Pull up a chair, order a drink and snacks, and root on your favorite teams and players with your new friends in Seoul!