"Korea Also Loved Japanese Sports Star"...Foreign Media Surprised by Korea's 'Ohtani Fever'

"Otani, Active as a Goodwill Ambassador"

Foreign media have analyzed that the Korean fans' affection for Shohei Ohtani (30, LA Dodgers), a superstar in Major League Baseball (MLB), is unusual.

On the 19th (local time), the British daily newspaper The Guardian reported on the 'Ohtani fever' in Korea in an article titled "Shohei Ohtani: The Japanese baseball star loved by Koreans."

The outlet stated, "Generally, Korean sports fans do not praise Japanese players, who are their sports rivals. However, they make an exception for Ohtani, who uploads positive posts on his Instagram account and declares Korea as 'one of my favorite countries.'"

Earlier, ahead of the Seoul Series, Ohtani posted several messages on social media using Hangul and Taegeukgi emojis. On the 20th, he also posted a Hangul message on Instagram saying, "The season starts tonight in Seoul. See you soon. Dodgers fighting!"

Shohei Ohtani of the LA Dodgers is warming up before the special game between Team Korea and the LA Dodgers held ahead of the MLB Seoul Series opening game on the 18th at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The Guardian also introduced remarks from Professor Jongseong Lee of Hanyang University, who analyzed the 'Ohtani fever.' Professor Lee said, "In Korea, due to social atmosphere, it is often difficult to publicly say that you like Japan. However, Ohtani may be the first Japanese player whom Koreans can openly say they like. Perhaps some may even consider him an 'honorary Korean.'"

The Guardian reported that on X (formerly Twitter), posts appear saying, "Ohtani's favorite country is Korea. The Japanese person Koreans like the most is Ohtani."

On the 17th at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, a practice game between the Los Angeles (LA) Dodgers and the Kiwoom Heroes was held ahead of the official Major League Baseball (MLB) opening series. Shohei Ohtani of the LA Dodgers is smiling brightly in the dugout after finishing the first inning.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Guardian said, "Last week, hundreds of fans shouted Ohtani's name and greeted the Dodgers. Few would have expected a Japanese player to receive such a level of praise in Korea."

Meanwhile, Ohtani signed a transfer contract with the LA Dodgers last December for a record-breaking $700 million (about 930 billion KRW), the largest amount in sports history. Ohtani, who also revealed his marriage last month, arrived in Korea on the 15th to participate in the '2024 MLB World Tour Seoul Series.' The Guardian stated, "Ohtani has established himself as an unparalleled all-around baseball player, philanthropist, and respected sportsman. This time, he is also serving an important role as a goodwill ambassador."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.