My First KBO Game at Mokdong Baseball Stadium, Seoul, Korea

 My flight arrived at Incheon Airport in the early afternoon on my second visit, and I hurried my way to the train, making my way to Mokdong Stadium. The last leg of my trip involved a several-minute walk, where I passed this pavilion.

 Finally, a stadium! Let's watch baseball. The weather was miserable so crowds were light despite being a Sunday game.

 You can't walk all the way around the stadium, as the seating only extends to the bullpens behind left field and right field. It's a small, pleasant park.

 Here's the view from the outfield and the bullpen.

 Most people were hidden up under the covering behind home plate.

 Seating at home plate is pretty nice, and there's a bit of a skyline behind the outfield. Granted, it's just standard housing, but it's something.

 The Nexen Heroes play here, and with three teams in Seoul they are the least-popular. The game was fun, though, despite not seeing any cheerleaders here (or at any of the KBO games I attended). I could totally see myself having season tickets with the Heroes, as the feel here was like a minor league game - relaxed but still with a good level of play.

In the end the game was pretty close - after giving up two runs early, the Eagles pitchers settled down and they nearly came back in the bottom of the ninth.

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Mokdong Baseball Stadium is pretty easy to get to; take Subway Line 5 to Omokgyo Station, and take exit 3 or 4. Walk straight north; the road will join with a larger road to the right (don't go into the tennis complex) and you'll reach the baseball stadium after a long block's walk.

NC Dinos Baseball Game, Masan (Changwon), Korea

 Masan has become a suburb of Busan, or is part of the greater metropolitan area, similar to Yokohama's relationship to Tokyo or San Jose's relationship to San Francisco. It has its own KBO baseball team, the NC Dinos.

 The Dinos got their start last year, and the "NC" part of their name refers to NCsoft, an online-gaming company that has been very successful.

 Right now, they're playing in Masan Stadium, which was an okay place to see a game. Views aren't really perfect everywhere due to the angling of the seats, but you are pretty close to the action near the front.

 The outfield is pretty standard, but the two humps on the first and third base sides in the seats are interesting to say the least. The stadium was recently refurbished and looks good, minor seating inconveniences aside.

 Due to lots of rain earlier in the day and the Dinos being pretty new, the crowds were light. Food here is standard and there are several stands, though at busy games I could see lines for concessions being very long. You are allowed to bring in your own food, and this is where I first tried Korean-style fried chicken with the sweet chili sauce. Delicious, and sold at the entrances to the parking lots!

I arrived at the park quite a bit early, so I wandered around the neighborhood a bit. There's a multipurpose field next to the baseball field, and you are free to enter and use the track if you wish.

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It is possible to walk to the stadium from Masan Station, which I did. It takes about 15-20 minutes. There are several buses too; ask at the visitor's center. They understood English, but I would have the name of the stadium in Korean characters (마산종합운동장 야구장) just in case. I returned to Masan Station by taxi; there's a taxi stand outside the electronics store at the corner of Samba-ro and Yongma-ro (northeast of the stadium). Definitely have Korean-character text when using taxis in Korea. This includes train station names and baseball stadium names.

I've heard a rumor that the Dinos are supposed to get a new stadium. I don't know if or when that will happen. Be sure to verify locations before you go.

Watching the Hanwha Eagles at Hanbat Stadium, Daejeon, Korea

 The Eagles joined KBO in 1986 as the Binggrae Eagles. Binggrae was a part of the Hanwha conglomerate, but split off in 1993; the team was renamed the Hanwha Eagles before the start of the 1994 season. They play in Daejeon, at Hanbat Stadium.

 Hanbat Stadium was built way back in 1964, and as such has some very old standards of stadium construction. Especially of note is the second deck set way back from the field (added in the 2013 upgrades), and the large amount of foul territory. The OB Bears used to play here (1982-1986), and the stadium has hosted the KBO All-Star Game in 1984, 2003, and 2012.

 Measurements down the lines are 100 meters each, with center field being 122 meters from home plate.

 The bullpens are located in the outfield, putting spectators there even farther from the game. The Eagles sit on the first base side and the visitors are on the third base side.

 Recent renovations (2013) increased the field size and seating capacity, and the ballpark certainly isn't horrible by any means. As you can tell by my pictures, it's possibly to walk all the way around the stadium. And there are several small seating sections catering to specific groups - family sections, couples sections, and so on. It's a nice touch.

 Additionally, the concourse is open to the field for most of the trip around the field. The only place where that isn't possible is a section behind home plate. The stadium also has a nice view of a mountain (Bomunsan) off in the distance behind the outfield.

 Food selection is pretty typical - beer, tteokbokki, sausages, and plenty of typical chips and other snacks found at convenience stores. Someone else mentioned that you can find churros here, but I didn't notice any. But, you can bring whatever you'd like into the stadium, so it's possible to get some fried chicken outside or pack your own goodies.

Access is tough. There's a bus (Express #2) from Daejeon Station (served by KTX) that will take you to the stadium, but it's probably easier for those who don't speak Korean to take a taxi. Always remember to have the Korean name of your location printed in Korean text for taxi drivers to read. They almost never speak English and Korean names can be different from the English ones. The ride is around 6000 won ($6).

The sports complex name in Korean is: 대전 한밭종합운동장). The complex includes a couple gyms, a large multi-purpose stadium for soccer and track and field activities, and more. The baseball stadium itself, in Hangul, is: 대전 한밭종합운동장 야구장.

Daejeon is about 150 kilometers south of Seoul, reached from Seoul Station on the KTX line in about an hour. It's the fifth-largest city in Korea, but there isn't too much to do in town. There are several surrounding mountains that are good for a hike, though.

Tickets for adults start at $7 for weekday games, $8 on the weekends, so it's very affordable, and despite its size it's still a pretty small ballpark in the end. The view of the field is nice and the fans are pretty good.

Korean Ballpark Food. One Word: Chicken.

I wanted to try a bunch of unique food while visiting Korea's baseball stadiums. Unfortunately, most of the offerings were pretty standard. One thing I noticed was the availability of instant ramen and plenty of hot water to make it. Most concession stands also sold drinks and simple snacks, but there wasn't very much along the lines of unique dishes.

Along the edges of stadium parking lots at several ballparks I found stalls selling freshly fried chicken. For $5, you got a decent meal, or for $10 a very filling meal complete with a beer.

The chicken is ripped into small pieces before being fried, and then served with a sweet chili sauce or salt. One seller provided the sauce and salt on the side for me to do with as I wanted, while another gave me a choice between the two - I went with the chili sauce and she sauteed the chicken briefly in a wok.

It's not terribly unique, but it's very delicious, especially when fresh, and certainly filling. I saw several attendees at the game eating their chicken as well.

I should note that you're generally permitted to bring in whatever food you'd like, similar to Japan. At least one stadium offered in-and-out privileges through at least one gate, which was right across the street from a convenience store. Prices inside the stadium weren't too high either.

A Perfect Day for Korean Baseball: SK Wyverns Game at Munhak Stadium, Incheon, South Korea

I had an early evening flight out of Incheon Airport, and the Wyverns were playing in Incheon that afternoon, so I figured I could see one last game before heading home. Despite being fairly close to the airport as the crow flies, getting to the airport by public transportation required going a good bit north to catch the Airport Express train, which took about an hour and a half.

 From the Munhak Sports Complex subway station, a good ways outside of Seoul, just follow the signs from Exit 2. The large stadium in front of you is designed for track and field and soccer games.

 You want the smaller stadium to the right. This gate, the closest to the station, is the outfield gate. Tickets can be bought on the other side of the stadium near home plate, and are very reasonably priced. I bought an outfield bleacher ticket, knowing that I'd have to leave early anyway to get to the airport in time.

 The stadium is built to AAA standards, with two-level seating in most of foul territory and plenty of luxury boxes and seats behind the plate and down the right field line.

 It's certainly a stadium I'd be happy to visit over and over again, if it wasn't so far from Seoul, which is also quite a ways from Tokyo.

 Incheon is pretty empty in this area, so the view is pretty simple, with the other stadium being the only major structure in the skyline. I tend to prefer skylines with buildings or mountains beyond the outfield.

 You can walk around the entire stadium, a definite bonus in Asia.

 To get between left and right field seats, you walk right behind the batter's eye. It's possible to stick your camera up over the fence and snap a few shots. I wish I had zoomed in more to decrease the graininess of this image (it's been cropped).

 Here's the view from almost-straightaway center field.

 I find it interesting that the cheerleaders are pictured here in this photo-op display, because I didn't see a single cheerleader during my entire stay in Korea. Where are they?!

 I grabbed a Hite Ice Point beer to sample while enjoying my Burger King burger. Hite is okay, like Bud Light or other light beers with a crisp taste that you can drink fast. For its purpose, it works. The stadium has a few other food options around the stadium but I didn't see anything spectacular beyond the usual Korean ballpark fare - sausages on a stick, etc.

The photo above is the view from my chosen general-admission seat. I was one of the first to sit in this area, and I found a ball left over from batting practice right at my seat - a KBO official ball! It pays to arrive early and be observant. It was hot and clear, and I got a bit burned out here because I didn't have any sunscreen.

 This display is a sort of Wyverns Hall of Fame and Museum. You can see "Legends" on the left, a television showing highlight clips in the middle, and autographed baseballs on the right.

 Nearby is the customer service booth, with the Wyverns lineup for the day.

 And then is the Touch Zone, again seeminly split into Legends and active players.

 Here are the Wyverns' legend players.

 Another photo op area, made to look like you're sitting in the dugout.

 There's a small children's area down the left field line. Yes, that's the Powerpuff Girls on the left. And a train that goes outside the stadium and then back in.

 I wonder what wonders are on the other side of that wall. How come I never got any super-cool forts to play in as a child? Kids have it good these days.

 A little further than that is a pitching target area and a ball pit for the little kids.

Back in the station, I remembered to take a photo of the mascots from the 2014 Asian Games. Incheon was a part of the games and this stadium was used. The convenience store in Munhak Sports Complex Station is the only place in Korea that I saw original-style Skittles, too - Sour Skittles were in several convenience stores but regular Skittles are apparently quite rare.