Korean Fans Take Love of Baseball to New Level

SEOUL, South Korea, June 9, 2010 -- For baseball fans, there's nothing like a trip to the ballpark and watching your home team win a game, a cup of beer in hand. But when it comes to baseball games in South Korea, boos and cheers are simply not enough.

Fanatical fans put on a real show here. They don't just chant and sing signature team songs but also perform carefully choreographed dance routines. In Korea, it seems everyone's a cheerleader.

Throughout the entire game, a male "chief cheerleader" and half a dozen buxom young cheerleaders lead the crowd in an orchestrated set of moves and songs from atop a dugout used as a stage. Assisting them are half a dozen men banging on large drums and traditional Korean gongs in sync with the rhythm of the music blasting from mega-sized speakers.

"When I'm in a bad mood, this is what makes me cheer up," said Kim Dong-Keun, 29, pointing to the cheerleaders' dancing to the latest hit song in super mini-shorts and tank-tops.

Before the game begins, the spectators start folding and ripping newspapers to create their own recycled pom-poms while vendors sell items such as plastic "thunder sticks" for less than a dollar, which make loud noises when smacked together.

Once the audience is equipped with the proper cheering tools, the chief cheerleader dressed in the home team uniform begins to conduct the crowd. His every move -- waving arms, hopping steps, or blowing different sounds with his whistle -- has a certain message to boost the mood.

When the team is at bat, tens of thousands in their seats start chanting for the hitter. Each player has his own designated songs, chants, and moves. For example, Gustavo Karim Garcia, a Mexican player scouted to play for Busan's Lotte Giants, receives a tribute that starts with a, "Ga---ru-si-a!" chant and five thunder-stick claps in rhythm.

Different repertoires are planned for specific situations, as when the opposing pitcher attempts a pickoff. Everyone shouts, "Ma!" warning their own runners to stop and get back to the base.