Current season, competition or edition: 2025 KBO League season | |
 KBO League sponsorless text logo | |
| Formerly | Korea Professional Baseball[1] (1982–2014) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Baseball |
| Founded | 1982; 43 years ago (1982) |
| First season | 1982 |
| Organising body | Korea Baseball Organization |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Country | South Korea |
| Most recent champion | LG Twins (4th title) (2025) |
| Most titles | Kia Tigers (12 titles) |
| Broadcasters | Korea KBS MBC SBS SPOTV |
| Streaming partners | Korea TVING Outside Korea SOOP |
| Related competitions | KBO Futures League (minor league) KBO Fall League (showcase league) |
| Official website | koreabaseball.com |
TheKBO League (Korean: KBO 리그) is a professionalbaseball league inSouth Korea. The league comprises ten teams. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea.[2] TheKia Tigers are the most successful team, having won 12 of the 44 championships.
In comparison with AmericanMajor League Baseball,ESPN reports that the KBO level of play "appears to be somewhere betweenDouble-A andTriple-A, on average, though the best players are more likely to be MLB-quality than your typical Double-A league."[3] Historically, the KBO is known for itsvocal and exuberant fan base,[4][5] as well as the widespread practice ofbat flips (ppa-dun (Korean:빠던), aportmanteau of the "first syllables of the words for 'bat' and 'throw'")[6][7] by hitters after striking what they think will be a home run.[6][7] In the KBO, the bat flipping tradition dates to the 1990s.[7]
Since the 2015 season, each team plays 144 games in the regular season, an increase from 128 games, along with the introduction of theKT Wiz to the league. Each team plays every other team 16 times.[8][9] In general, Korean teams play six games a week, with every Monday off.
In mid-July of every season, the best players participate in the KBO All-Star Game. The franchises participating are divided into two sets of teams: "Dream All-Stars" (Doosan, KT, Lotte, Samsung, and SSG) and "Nanum All-Stars" (Kia, Hanwha, LG, NC and Kiwoom).
The KBO League's season culminates in its championship series, known as theKBO Korean Series. Currently, the top five teams qualify for the post-season based on win–loss records. The lowest-qualifying teams face off in a step-ladder playoff system, where each winner then faces the next-highest team, culminating in the Korean Series against the top-ranked team.[9]
Any playoff games ending in an official tie are replayed, thereby raising the possibility of a close series containing more than the scheduled five or seven games.
The KBO League rules are essentially those of theMajor League Baseball (MLB). Thedesignated hitter rule is universal in KBO.[5]
Traditionally, South Korean professional baseball games have a maximum number of extra innings before a game is declared an official tie. The KBO abolished this limit for the 2008 season, but it was reinstated in 2009, with a 12-inning limit imposed during the regular season,[5] and a 15-inning limit for playoff games.[10]
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The first game was played on March 27, 1982, between theSamsung Lions and theMBC Chungyong atDongdaemun Baseball Stadium,Seoul. Then-presidentChun Doo-hwan threw out the ceremonial first pitch.[11]
The 1982 charter teams of its first season were:
The firstKorean Series featured the Bears versus the Lions, with OB winning the championship 4-games-to-1, with a tie.[12]
TheHaitai Tigers dominated the 1980s, winning the Korean Series five times — in 1983, 1986, and 1987 through 1989. They were led by pitcherSun Dong-yol and infieldersKim Seong-han andHan Dae-hwa. Other KBO stars whose careers took off in the 1980s were sluggersChang Jong-hoon andLee Man-soo.
From 1982 to 1988, the regular season was divided into two (a spring season and a fall season), with a first-half pennant winner and a latter-half pennant winner. The two pennant winners then played each other for theKorean Series championship.[13] The 1982 campaign featured an 80-game (in total) season, which expanded to 100 games from 1983 to 1984. Rosters for each team were small (sometimes as few as 14 players), and many players in the league both pitched and batted.Bang Soo-won of theHaitai Tigers pitched the first no-hitter in South Korean professional baseball history, in 1984 against theSammi Superstars.[14]
Mid-season 1985, the Sammi Superstars were sold and became known as theChungbo Pintos, and the full season expanded to 110 games. Because the Samsung Lions won both half-season pennants (with a still single-season record .706 winning percentage), the Lions won the title outright so noKorean Series was played that year.[13]
Because of the lack of a postseason in 1985, the next year saw some major changes, with the adoption of a playoff system, in which the top two teams from each half-season played for the right to get to the Korean Series.[13] 1986 also saw the OB Bears moving from Daejeon to shareJamsil Baseball Stadium with MBC Chungyong in Seoul. A new franchise, theBinggrae Eagles, joined the league, replacing the vacancy in Daejeon made by OB's move, and expanding the league to seven teams. From 1986 to 1988, the regular season shrank to a total of 108 games.
1988 saw the Cheongbo Pintos change ownership again, becoming thePacific Dolphins. In 1989 the KBO eliminated the two half-season pennants, moving to a single season of 120 games.[13]
In the 1990s the Tigers were again dominant, winning the championship four times in the decade — 1991, 1993, 1996, and 1997. The Tigers were led by hitting-machineLee Jong-beom and sluggerLee Ho-joon. Other KBO players who starred in the 1990s were Eagles' pitcherSong Jin-woo, who eventually became the all-time KBO leader in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched; slugging catcherPark Kyung-oan, the first catcher in KBO history to hit 300 home runs; and stolen base kingJeon Jun-ho. But probably the most notable hitters to emerge from the 1990s were the Lions'Lee Seung-yuop andYang Joon-hyuk, who between them now hold most of the KBO's career offensive records.
In 1990, MBC Chungyong became theLG Twins and an eighth franchise was added, theSsangbangwool Raiders, who represented theNorth Jeolla Province region.
From 1991 to 1998, the season increased to 126 games. The Lotte Giants won the Korean Series championship in 1992; the team has not won it since. There was little other change during this period except for a few major sponsors: in 1993 the Binggrae Eagles became theHanwha Eagles, in 1996 the Pacific Dolphins became theHyundai Unicorns, and in 1999 the OB Bears became theDoosan Bears.
The 1998 Korean Series was won by the Hyundai Unicorns for the franchise's first championship in 16 years of existence. (The team would go on to win the championship in 2000, 2003, and 2004.)
In 1999 the season was expanded to 132 games, and the KBO separated into two divisions — the Dream League and the Magic League.[13][15][16] The 1999 Dream League consisted of the Doosan Bears, the Lotte Giants, the Haitai Tigers, and the Hyundai Unicorns; the 1999 Magic League consisted of the Hanwha Eagles, the LG Twins, the Samsung Lions, and the Ssangbangwool Raiders. That year the Eagles — in their 14th season — won their franchise's first (and only) Korean Series championship, after 14 years in the KBO.
Bigger changes were made in 2000 when the Hyundai Unicorns moved fromIncheon toSuwon, and a new franchise, theSK Wyverns, took their place in Incheon. TheSsangbangwool Raiders became defunct. The league's two-division structure slightly shifted as well, with SK taking Ssangbangwool's place in the Magic Division, and Lotte and Samsung switching divisions.[17] Thus, the 2000 Dream League was composed of Doosan, Haitai, Hyundai, and Samsung; while the 2000 Magic League was composed of Hanwha, LG, Lotte, and SK.
Parity ruled the 2000s, with the Unicorns and Lions each winning three titles, and the upstart Wyverns winning two. The hard-luck Doosan Bears appeared in the Korean Series five times in the decade but only won it once, in 2001. Stars who emerged in the 2000s include all-time KBO hit kingPark Yong-taik, the Giants' first-basemanDae-ho Lee, and the Eagles' first-basemanKim Tae-kyun. Other notable players from the era include slugging third-basemenLee Bum-ho andChoi Jeong, the Bears' designated hitterHong Sung-heon, and the Twins' long-time outfielderLee Byung-kyu.
In 2001, the KBO returned to a single-division format.[13] The Haitai Tigers became theKia Tigers. From 2000 to 2012, the length of the regular season fluctuated between 126 and 133 games.
Despite its string of championships in the early 2000s, the Hyundai Unicorns franchise was disbanded in 2008. It was re-founded as theWoori Heroes and moved toMok-dong in Seoul. In 2010, the team's naming rights were sold toNexen Tire and the team was renamed theNexen Heroes until the end of the 2018 season, when its naming rights were sold toKiwoom Securities.
The Samsung Lions were a powerful team in the 2010s, winning the championship four times during six straight appearances in the Korean Series (from 2010 to 2015). The Doosan Bears were also a powerhouse, appearing in the Korean Series six times in the decade (including five straight appearances from 2015 to 2019), winning it three times.
Expansion resumed in the 2010s, with the addition of theNC Dinos, located inChangwon, which joined the league in 2013. It is the first team located in Changwon, the city having previously been the second home of the nearby Lotte Giants. The KBO played 128-game seasons in 2013–2014.
In 2015, theKT Wiz became the league's tenth franchise. They play their home games in Suwon, which had not had a team since the Hyundai Unicorns' disbandment. Since 2015 the KBO has played a 144-game season each year, and has added a fifth team to the playoffs, with the introduction of the Wild Card game. In 2015 the league also increased the active roster size of each team, from 26 to 27 (of those, 25 may play in any one game).[18]
After a number of seasons of inflated offensive production, the KBO introduced a new "dejuiced" baseball before the 2019 season. The results showed in a significant decrease in runs per game and home runs per game.[19][9]
The 2020 season was delayed by theCOVID-19 pandemic, but finally started play in May 2020, with no fans in attendance.[9] In response to thelack of live sports programming due to the pandemic,ESPN and the KBO League entered into an agreement to broadcast six games weekly for the 2020 season. The Opening Day game between the NC Dinos and Samsung Lions was broadcast as the first game under the agreement that night.Karl Ravech,Jason Benetti,Boog Sciambi,Eduardo Perez, andJessica Mendoza, along with various guests, broadcast the game remotely via Internet from their homes.[20] The deal was for the 2020 season only and was not renewed for 2021.[21]
As withNippon Professional Baseball (NPB), the KBO league places a cap on the number of foreign players allowed on club rosters. The foreign player limit is set at three (no more than two of them being pitchers),[9][5] increased from two players from 2014. Foreign players can only sign single-season contracts, and they are restricted by a salary cap.[4] Since 2019, the total compensation for a foreign player has been capped at $1 million.[22][23] The foreign hitters on each team are expected to provide power in the middle of the order, while the foreign pitchers are expected to anchor the starting rotation.[24] As with foreign players in the NPB, many of the most celebrated foreign players came to Korea after not finding success in theMajor Leagues.
The KBO first began allowing foreign players in 1998,[24][25] when each team was allowed to sign up to two imports. Traditionally, teams chose one hitter and one pitcher, although there were exceptions. (In 2001 and 2002, KBO teams were allowed three foreign-born players, but only two of them could be on the field at the same time.)[25] By 2012, teams were using all their foreign-player allotments on pitchers, and there were no more foreign hitters in the KBO. After this happened again in 2013, the following season the KBO League raised the foreign-player limit to three for each team, but mandated that at least one foreign player had to be a hitter (again, with only two such players on the field at a time).[25]
AmericanTyrone Woods was the first notable import. Debuting with theDoosan Bears in 1998, Woods was the first foreign player to hit a home run (as well as the first to be ejected from a game by an umpire).[26] In his first year Woods set a then-KBO record with 42 homers and won theMVP award (becoming the first foreign player to win the award).[27] In five years in Korea, Woods hit 174 homers, drove in 510 runs, and batted .294. (He later found additional success inNippon Professional Baseball.) Woods left Korea with the longest career of any foreign player in KBO history, a record later eclipsed by hitterJay Davis and pitcherDustin Nippert. Davis played seven seasons forHanwha (1999–2002, 2004–2006), compiling a .313 batting average, 167 home runs, and 591 RBI during that span.[28]
Foreign pitchers with extended careers in the KBO includeDustin Nippert, who compiled a win–loss record of 102–51 and 1,082 strikeouts in eight seasons (a foreign player record); andDanny Rios, who in six seasons was 90–59 with 807 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.01, which is the lowest career ERA of any foreign pitcher in the KBO.Josh Lindblom pitched in the KBO for five seasons, compiling a 63–34 record and 750 strikeouts. Rios was given the 2008KBO League Most Valuable Player Award, Nippert was KBO MVP in 2016, and Lindblom won the award in 2019.
AmericanJerry Royster was the first-ever non-Korean to take the helm of one of South Korea's professional baseball clubs when he was signed as manager of the Lotte Giants in 2007.[29] (Royster served as the Giants' manager through the 2010 season.)
Over the league's history, more than 200 Americans have played in the KBO; other countries which have produced many current and former KBO players include theDominican Republic (with more than 80 players), andVenezuela (with more than 20 players).
Several KBO players have had successful careers in Japan'sNippon Professional Baseball (NPB).Baek In-chun played professionally in Japan from 1963 to 1981, compiling 209 home runs, 776 RBI, and 1,831 hits in the NPB. (He returned to Korea for his final three seasons as a player.)Lee Seung-yuop, who holds the KBO records for career home runs, runs scored, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage and OPS, also played eight seasons in the NPB, accumulating an additional 159 home runs and 439 RBI. Other KBO hitters who had some success in the NPB includeKim Tae-kyun andDae-ho Lee. Korean pitchers who have had an impact in the NPB includeSun Dong-yol,Lim Chang-yong, andSeung-hwan Oh (who led the NPB in saves in both 2014 and 2015).
Several Korean players have also successfully transitioned from the KBO to AmericanMajor League Baseball, starting in 1994 with pitcherChan Ho Park. Prior to Park, the South Korea-born Mexican pitcherErnesto Carlos was signed to anAmerican minor league contract with theSan Francisco Giants' organization in 1968 after having found success in the NPB.[30] Similarly, pitcherPark Chul-soon signed a minor league deal with theMilwaukee Brewers organization in 1980.[31] Neither Ernesto Carlos nor Park Chul-soon, however, made it to the Major Leagues. Other Korean players who have had lengthy MLB careers include outfielderShin-Soo Choo and pitcherByung-hyun Kim. In 2013,Hanwha Eagles aceHyun-jin Ryu became the first player from the KBO to join an MLB team through theposting system. Altogether, 28 South Korean players have made it to the MLB as of 2025.[32]
| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doosan Bears | Seoul | Jamsil Baseball Stadium | 25,000 | 1982 | |
| Hanwha Eagles | Daejeon | Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark | 20,000 | 1985 | 1986 |
| Kia Tigers | Gwangju | Gwangju-Kia Champions Field | 20,500 | 1982 | |
| Kiwoom Heroes | Seoul | Gocheok Sky Dome | 16,744 | 2008 | |
| KT Wiz | Suwon | Suwon kt wiz Park | 20,000 | 2013 | 2015 |
| LG Twins | Seoul | Jamsil Baseball Stadium | 25,000 | 1982 | |
| Lotte Giants | Busan | Sajik Baseball Stadium | 24,500 | 1975 | 1982 |
| NC Dinos | Changwon | Changwon NC Park | 22,112 | 2011 | 2013 |
| Samsung Lions | Daegu | Daegu Samsung Lions Park | 24,000 | 1982 | |
| SSG Landers | Incheon | Incheon SSG Landers Field | 23,000 | 2000 | |
| Defunct clubs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | City | Stadium | Founded | Joined | Ceased |
| Hyundai Unicorns | Suwon | Suwon Baseball Stadium | 1982 | 2008 | |
| Ssangbangwool Raiders | Jeonju | Jeonju Baseball Stadium | 1990 | 1991 | 1999 |
In South Korea, most of the games are airedfree-to-air onMBC,SBS andKBS2, and at pay television onKBS N Sports,MBC Sports+,SBS Sports andSPOTV1/2.[33]
Between 2021 and 2023, SPOTV broadcast selected games in theASEAN region.[34]
In 2024, streaming platformTVING became the exclusive home of the KBO League, marking the end of the league's free online broadcast era in South Korea.[35] In June that same year, free streaming serviceSOOP acquired the rights to broadcast all KBO games outside of South Korea through the 2026 season.[36]
| Doosan Bears | LG Twins | Hanwha Eagles | Kia Tigers | Kiwoom Heroes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamsil Baseball Stadium | Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark | Gwangju-Kia Champions Field | Gocheok Sky Dome | |
| Capacity:25,000 | Capacity:20,000 | Capacity:20,500 | Capacity:16,744 | |
 |  |  |  | |
| KT Wiz | Lotte Giants | NC Dinos | Samsung Lions | SSG Landers |
| Suwon kt wiz Park | Sajik Baseball Stadium | Changwon NC Park | Daegu Samsung Lions Park | Incheon SSG Landers Field |
| Capacity:20,000 | Capacity:24,500 | Capacity:22,112 | Capacity:24,000 | Capacity:23,000 |
.jpg) |  |  |  |  |
In addition to these ballparks, theLotte Giants play some games atUlsan Munsu Baseball Stadium, theSamsung Lions atPohang Baseball Stadium and theHanwha Eagles atCheongju Baseball Stadium.
In the2016 season, a new national record was set with more than 8 million spectators. There was a big increase of 1 million compared to the previous season.[37]
The record was broken again in the2017 season with over 8.4 million fans at the regular season games. The Bears, Twins, Giants and Tigers all attracted over 1 million fans, and the average game attendance was above 11,600 fans.[38] This increase in popularity has been accompanied by the building of larger and more modern ballparks to further enhance the fan experience and their expenditures during games, such as theGwangju-Kia Champions Field (2014),Gocheok Sky Dome (2016),Daegu Samsung Lions Park (2016),Changwon NC Park (2019), andDaejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark (2025).
The record was once again surpassed in the2025 season, when more than 12 million fans watched the entire regular season.[39][40]
The KBO League has shown significant growth among female audiences in recent years; data from the early2024 season showed that approximately 54% of ticket holders were female, with the majority being in their 20s.[41][42][43] Survey released after the 2024 season not only confirmed the early season data, but also showed that women in their 30s also had a strong interest in the league and were more interested in financially supporting their favorite teams than their male counterparts.[44] The growth in the number of female fans continued in the 2025 season, with women representing approximately 58% of all tickets sold.[45]
KBO League players and coaches have formed a number of associations:[46]
| Club | Champions | Runners-up | Seasons won | Seasons runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Tigers | 12 | 0 | 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2009, 2017, 2024 | — |
| Samsung Lions | 8 | 11 | 1985, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 | 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1993, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015, 2024 |
| Doosan Bears | 6 | 9 | 1982, 1995, 2001, 2015, 2016, 2019 | 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021 |
| SSG Landers | 5 | 4 | 2007, 2008, 2010, 2018, 2022 | 2003, 2009, 2011, 2012 |
| LG Twins | 4 | 4 | 1990, 1994, 2023, 2025 | 1983, 1997, 1998, 2002 |
| Hyundai Unicorns (defunct) | 4 | 2 | 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004 | 1994, 1996 |
| Lotte Giants | 2 | 3 | 1984, 1992 | 1985, 1995, 1999 |
| Hanwha Eagles | 1 | 6 | 1999 | 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 2006, 2025 |
| NC Dinos | 1 | 1 | 2020 | 2016 |
| KT Wiz | 1 | 1 | 2021 | 2023 |
| Kiwoom Heroes | 0 | 3 | — | 2014, 2019, 2022 |
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