Seoul – As a South Korean baseball fan, Shin Jae-woong had many reasons to be excited for the opening of the Major League Baseball season this week in Seoul. This is the first time ever that regular season MLB games are being held in South Korea, a country known for its love of baseball. The games also feature multiple Korean stars, including Padres infielder Kim Ha-seong.
But for Shin and his two young sons, the main draw is none other than Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. They traveled all the way from the southeastern city of Gwangju to see him play.
“I think Ohtani is out of this world. He’s like another level of player,” said Shin as he watched the Dodgers practice ahead of the series opener on Wednesday.
Ohtani, the do-it-all Japanese megastar, who in December signed a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, draws massive crowds wherever he goes these days.
Surprisingly, Ohtani also has a huge fan following in South Korea, a country that shares a fierce sports rivalry and a complicated history with Japan.
“He has a good personality. He’s tall. He’s good-looking,” said Eo Soo-young, a 38-year-old resident of Seoul. “And that other stuff, that’s an old story.”
This week, it’s all about positive vibes as South Korea and Japan come together around an American game, which has also become a showcase for improved ties among the three countries.
“It’s almost become a trilateral event,” said Philip Goldberg, the U.S. ambassador to Seoul, who attended the Wednesday game with several senior South Korean and Japanese officials. “In this atmosphere of better relations…it brings even more luster.”
Japan-South Korea ties have long been strained, often over issues related to atrocities committed by Japan during its brutal 1910-45 occupation of Korea. However, when South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in 2022, he chose to focus on the future, expanding security cooperation and holding several meetings with his counterpart, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Despite this, Japan remains a sensitive issue in South Korea, where many left-leaning politicians accuse Yoon of being too friendly with Japan.
According to Japanese media reports, planning was underway for Kishida to attend Wednesday’s MLB opener in Seoul, possibly alongside Yoon. However, his visit was called off due to concerns that it may have been too controversial ahead of next month’s general election in South Korea.
“Even though the two governments have been able to smooth things over, this historical issue hasn’t been resolved, I think. And that leaves open the possibility of the relationship deteriorating in the future,” said Benjamin Engel, a professor at Seoul National University.
But for now, ties between the two countries are warming, even at the people-to-people level. Recent polls suggest a majority of young Koreans want to improve relations with Japan. And South Korean interest in Japanese cultural productions, such as anime, and commercial products like beer, has surged.
In an interview with VOA, Ambassador Goldberg expressed optimism that trilateral ties will remain strong.
“It just makes so much sense. It’s in the interests of the three countries,” he told VOA. “There are going to be moments where we have to manage and go through different periods. But I think there’s a logic to all of this that will keep it going.”
And Ohtani, whom Koreans refer to as the “baseball genius,” can only add to the positive atmosphere, at least according to many Korean baseball fans.
Many were impressed that during his pre-game comments to the media, Ohtani had nothing but warm words for South Korea. This is in contrast to Ichiro Suzuki, another Japanese baseball legend, who stirred resentment among many Koreans by taunting and sometimes even insulting their country.
“(Ohtani) just respects Korea…that’s why other people respect him too,” said Seoul resident Ryoo Sung-kyu. “It’s give and take, I think.”
In conclusion, the first ever regular season MLB games in South Korea have not only brought excitement to baseball fans, but have also served as a platform for improved relations between South Korea, Japan, and the United States. With the presence of Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani, the atmosphere is filled with positive vibes and a sense of unity among the three countries.
