This image provided by Coupang Play on Dec. 1, 2023, shows the promotional poster for Major League Baseball World Tour’s Seoul Series, pitting the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Diego Padres on March 20 and 21, 2024, at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean streaming service Coupang Play announced Friday it will be the exclusive streaming platform for Major League Baseball (MLB) season opening games in Seoul next spring.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres are scheduled to play on March 20 and 21 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. They will be the first MLB regular season games to take place in South Korea.
MLB announced its “Seoul Series” schedule as part of MLB World Tour in July, and MLB officials visited Gocheok Sky Dome, the only domed baseball stadium in South Korea, for an inspection on Aug. 1.
As MLB’s presenting partner and marketing partner, Coupang Play will also provide livestreams of the clubs’ arrival in South Korea and their scrimmages, in addition to the two regular season games.
Both the Dodgers and the Padres have strong South Korean connection. Park Chan-ho, the first South Korean to play in MLB, made his big league debut with the Dodgers in 1994. The club later had other South Korean players such as Choi Hee-seop and Seo Jae-weong. A perennial contender, the Dodgers are led by former MVPs Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
The Padres currently have South Korean infielder Kim Ha-seong, who won a National League Gold Glove in the utility position last month. He is the first South Korean to win a Gold Glove. His All-Star teammates include Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto.
Park, who also played for the Padres, is working as an adviser for the club’s baseball operations department.
(Yonhap)
