The World's (Affordable) Game: Soccer's Accessibility in Korea and Around the World
Soccer's Accessibility in Korea and Around the World
While baseball reigns supreme in the Korean sports landscape, as in most countries around the world soccer has an important place in the sports scene. With internationally known Korean players like Son Heung-Min and Hwang Ui-jo playing at the highest levels of club soccer in Europe, soccer's popularity in Korea is continuing to grow and shows no signs of slowing down. Around Seoul I saw many people wearing jerseys for teams in England, Spain and the Korean National soccer team and many restaurants had memorabilia from famous Korean players of years past.
While in Korea, one of my goals was to attend a soccer game at the World Cup Stadium. I am a huge soccer fan and love to compare the fan culture, style of play, stadiums and atmosphere of the games that I have attended in the United States and abroad. One thing that always strikes me when attending games outside of the United States is how financially accessible major sporting events are to fans. I attended two games of FC Seoul who currently play in the K-League which is the top-tier of soccer in Korea. A ticket in the supporter's section of the stadium cost $13, a gimbap roll cost about $2 and a beer and water cost about $5 combined. A family of 4 who wanted to cheaply attend a game could get away with spending less than $75 for an entertaining weekend night out with dinner. It is also important to note that while we attended games with a crowd of between 8-11,000 fans these concession prices did not change when the Korean National team played in the same stadium to a sold out crowd of over 60,000 a few days before our arrival in Seoul, meaning the prices are not just a product of the team having a bad season. This pricing structure is similar to stadiums I have visited outside of the United States, including soccer obsessed England where many fans have fought hard for legal protection from price gouging of tickets and concessions in order to keep games affordable for families who wish to see their teams play.
It is no secret that in the United States soccer is not near as popular as it is internationally, yet attending a professional game for a family will eat a significantly higher portion of their budget. As a comparison, my favorite team in Major League Soccer (MLS), Sporting Kansas City, has tickets in the supporter's section starting at $25, hot dogs sell for $7 and a beer and water combined costs about $17. A family of 4 purchasing similar items will spend almost $100 more to attend a game in a league that has little national relevance in the United States. While attending an MLS game is expensive compared to a K-League game the price-per ticket can increase to $80-$120 on the resale market (a practice illegal in many countries) for playoff or championship games making the experience even more cost prohibitive for families.
While pricing at sporting events is a luxury good and by no means a full measure of social and financial equity, what I have seen so far in Korea reflects the general attitude of accessibility and collectivism that seems absent from much of pricing structures and society in the United States. For example, many of the main roads and almost every building I have been inside in Seoul and Chuncheon are marked on the sidewalks and staircases for people who are blind, the willingness to continue to abide by an indoor mask mandate, the schools which have been retrofitting themselves in order to be more accommodating for students with developmental needs, the added emphasis on group projects and cooperation in schools and even people's willingness to line up before getting on a crowded subway train demonstrate an inclination towards helping one another and ensuring that everyone can participate in society. While Korea is by no means perfect, the contrast of Lamborghinis alongside people begging for money near our hotel in Gangnam being a very clear example, the financial accessibility of professional soccer games in Korea provides more opportunities for families and citizens to engage with feel like a bigger part of the community.
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