SEOUL — The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) set a new single-season attendance record on Sunday, breaking a seven-year-old record with over a month remaining in the season, as fan engagement continues to surge.
According to Yonhap News Agency, attendance for the season hit 8,407,887 by Sunday afternoon, propelled by a sold-out game between the Kia Tigers and the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. This milestone surpasses the previous record of 8,400,688 fans set in the 2017 season across 720 games. The record was achieved in the 569th game of the current season, highlighting an unprecedented pace of spectator attendance.
The record-breaking game was part of a broader surge in attendance across the league. Other matches on Sunday also drew large crowds: 22,545 fans at the game between the Hanwha Eagles and the SSG Landers in Incheon, 20,740 at the match between the Lotte Giants and the Kiwoom Heroes in Busan, and 12,328 watching the NC Dinos and the Samsung Lions in Changwon. Additionally, the KT Wiz and the Doosan Bears attracted 12,164 fans in Suwon.
This season has seen a significant increase in fan attendance, with the league marking the 161st sellout this season, setting another record for the most in one season. Furthermore, every KBO club is averaging over 10,000 fans per home game for the first time in the league’s 42-year history, led by the LG Twins with nearly 19,400 per game.
The robust attendance figures continue despite potential disruptions from adverse weather, with the league experiencing no significant drop in ticket sales due to rainy conditions or the recent heatwave. The strong attendance is underscored by milestones such as surpassing the 6 million fan mark before the All-Star break for the first time and reaching over 7 million fans by July 27—the fastest rate in KBO history.