“When I joined the Padres, I never thought I would have the opportunity to represent San Diego and Major League Baseball in my homeland”.메이저놀이터
The Los Angeles Dodgers of Park Chan-ho and Ryu Hyun-jin and the San Diego Padres of Kim Ha-seong will open the regular season with a two-game series at the Gocheok SkyDome in Seoul on 20 and 21 March next year.
It will be the first MLB regular-season game ever played in South Korea. It will also be the ninth opening series in Major League Baseball history to be played outside of the 50 United States and Canada, and the third in Asia after Japan and Australia.
The MLB World Tour marks the beginning of a new era of bringing Major League Baseball teams and players directly to fans in various countries around the world, and is the largest international road trip in the history of MLB and the MLBPA, with up to 24 regular-season games and 16 event games in Asia, Mexico, Latin America and Europe during the 2023-2026 seasons.
“When I joined the Padres, I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to represent San Diego and Major League Baseball in my home country,” Kim said on the club’s official social media accounts. “I can’t tell you how excited and happy I am to be able to wear the San Diego uniform and play in Korea,” he added.
“To be able to invite my teammates, staff, and coaches to Korea to experience this great opportunity with me is really special and will be a great memory for me,” said Kim. Finally, he expressed his hope that “many Korean Padres fans will come and support us.”
Ha-Sung Kim, San Diego Padres / OSEN DB
Ha-Sung Kim, San Diego Padres / OSEN DB
“I would like to thank MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and other relevant organisations for their efforts to bring the MLB Opening Day to Seoul. “This is a very special opportunity for Korean baseball fans to see a Major League Baseball game in person in Korea, and we expect it to be a great international exchange venue to showcase the passion and culture of Korean baseball fans.
“We look forward to working with the MLB office to further develop the game of baseball in Korea, and to providing even more events and attractions for baseball fans.”
The Dodgers, meanwhile, have played six international games since playing their first overseas game against the Montreal Expos in Puerto Rico in 1988, while San Diego has played seven international games, including an MLB regular-season game against San Francisco in Mexico City on May 1.