South Korea has traditional sports of its own, but sports imported from the West are predominant.
There are various forms of folk dancing still practiced in Korea. Although not commonly considered a sport, traditional mask dance drama is physically demanding.
Kite flying is considered a sport in East Asia. Kites are flown during the first few days of the Lunar New Year and Chuseok. It is not, however, a major league sport as it is in Thailand. The traditional Korean kite is made of bamboo sticks and traditional Korean paper.
Bull fighting (So Ssa-eum) in Korea features two bulls fighting each other. The bulls butt heads and attempt to push the opponent backwards. The first bull to move backwards loses the game. Many people tip on bulls that they think are going to win. The owner of bull named Glamorous made 1.2 million dollars from tipping alone.
Korean wrestling (Ssireum) is similar to Sumo wrestling from Japan. Korean wrestling is played in a sandy ring, and the contender who throws his opponent to the ground wins a point.
Taekwondo, a popular martial art originated in Korea. Taekwondo means technique of kicking and punching, although the emphasis lies on the kicks. Even though it was practiced for centuries�its origins have been traced as far back as the 1st century BC�it only became popular after World War II. It became standard military training in Korea, and in 1961 the rules were standardized.
Taekkyeon is a traditional martial art that originated in Korea during the Goguryeo period in the 4th century. It uses open hands and the feet, whereas the use of clenched fists is not permitted. The motions are smoother and more curvilinear than Taekwondo.
Hapkido is another martial art from Korea, although not as popular as Taekwondo outside the peninsula. Hapkido developed during the Three Kingdoms and shares many characteristics with the Japanese Aikido..
Football is most popular spectator sport in South Korea. South Korea, which competes internationally under the name of Korea Republic, has qualified for eight FIFA World Cup finals including the most recent 2010 tournament (Asian record), and co-hosted the 2002 World Cup, finishing in 4th place. Also in 2010, the country's under-17 women's team won the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago, claiming South Korea's first-ever title in worldwide FIFA competition. The K-League is the oldest domestic professional football league in Asia. A huge number of tiny amateur football gatherings are active and immensely popular.
Baseball is also popular spectator sport in South Korea. It was introduced in 1905 by American missionaries and carries a strong following today. Professional teams owned by large conglomerates (chaebols) compete in the Korea Professional Baseball league. Korea won the Gold Medal in baseball at the 2008 Olympic Games. Korea is also a regular participant in the World Baseball Classic, and is considered one of the best baseball countries in international competition.
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