Episode 72: For The Love Of The Cheering (Sports)

This week Jun and Daniel discuss sports culture in Korea and America, prompted by their recent experience attending a KBO (Korean Baseball Organization) playoff game together. Through comparing stadium experiences, fan behavior, player salaries, and cultural attitudes towards athletics, our hosts explore deeper societal differences between the two countries - from how Koreans view sports more as entertainment versus Americans' intense competitive spirit, to contrasting approaches to women's sports and mixed-gender athletics. What does wildcard, semi-playoffs, and playoffs mean in the context of Korean baseball? What is the topic of many of Daniel’s conversations with more Americanized Korean Koreans? Is there a difference between ‘hwaiting’ (화이팅) and ‘paiting’ (파이팅)?

If you're interested in any of these topics or questions, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more! Also in this episode, Daniel shares his hot takes on NBA star Steph Curry, and Jun reveals his childhood connection to the Samsung Lions baseball team.

Note: This episode was recorded on October 24, 2024 and includes references to events that may feel anachronistic by the time of publication. Thank you for understanding!

So Meta
Inspiring stories of resilience: overcoming struggles, finding purpose, transforming lives

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

As a reminder, we record one episode a week in-person from Seoul, South Korea. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

Support us on Patreon:
https://patreon.com/user?u=99211862

Follow us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/koreanamericanpodcast/
https://twitter.com/korampodcast
https://www.tiktok.com/@koreanamericanpodcast

Questions/Comments/Feedback? Email us at: koreanamericanpodcast@gmail.com