MLB opening game set to take place in Seoul next year

In an exciting development for Korean baseball fans, there will be an opportunity to watch Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres hit a ball thrown by Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers right before their eyes. Seoul is set to host an official Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season game for the first time ever in 2024.

The MLB office and players’ union have announced that the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres are scheduled to play the opening games in Seoul on March 20 and 21, next year. While the specific stadium has not been confirmed, the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, which is currently the only dome stadium in Korea, is the most probable venue for the event.

The upcoming two-game series between the Dodgers and the Padres in Seoul, dubbed the “Seoul Series,” will mark the ninth overseas opener in MLB history. As part of MLB’s efforts to promote and “globalize” baseball, the MLB has been organizing a world tour consisting of regular season games outside of North America. Starting with the Seoul Series, the MLB World Tour will be held in Mexico on April 28 and 29, featuring the Houston Astros and the Colorado Rockies, followed by another series in London on June 9 and 10 featuring the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. An exhibition game known as the Dominican Republic Series will take place on March 10 and 11 in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, where the Boston Red Sox will face off against the Tampa Bay Rays.


Heon-Jae Lee uni@donga.com