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TRADITIONAL SPORTS There are various forms of folk dancing still practiced in Korea. Although not commonly considered a sport, traditional mask dance drama is physically very 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 (Cheongdo 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. Korean Wrestling (Ssirum Ssirum) 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. SPORTS ORIGINATING FROM KOREA 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 Akido .. POPULAR SPORTS Popular throughout Asia, Badminton is played by many Koreans. Badminton nets can be found in many outdoor recreation parks. Korean players often reach the finals in regional and world championships. Baseball is Korea is well developed, and there are a number of professional baseball teams owned by the large conglomerates ( Chaebol s). There are some foreign players in the Korean World Series . Another US sport that has become very popular in South Korea is Basketball . Just like with baseball, there are a number of professional basketball teams owned by the chaebols. Basketball did not get popular in Korea until recently, because the shorter elder generations were disadvantaged in the game. Bowling is a popular sport in South Korea, with many local leagues. Computerized systems are commonplace. There is a Darts league in Seoul, but the sport is still relatively uncommon amongst Koreans—although popular with the expatriate Western population. Fishing and Hiking are common activities in South Korea. Fishing is popular in streams, rivers, and the oceans. There are arranged fishing tours. Hiking in the Korean mountains is very popular, and weekend after weekend popular areas fill with people. Golf is very popular in South Korea. It is often thought that this is linked to the fact that golf is considered a status symbol. Membership in golf clubs in South Korea is considerably cheaper than in Japan or the US, with the effect that golf is more popular. South Korea is especially strong in women's golf; over 30 Koreans play on the world's leading women's tour, the LPGA tour in the United States . The best-known Korean golfer is Pak Se-ri . Scuba Diving is popular on Jeju island. Korea is home to a number of good downhill Skiing slopes. Snowboarding was not allowed in most resorts until recently. Major ski resort include. Football is a very popular sport in Korea. Table Tennis is popular in South Korea. There are minor leagues in many universities. By far however the most popular sport is online gaming. Most South Koreans play games online than sports, the only sports are the ones online! MAJOR SPORT EVENTS Olympic Games The Olympic Games were held in Seoul in 1988 . and had over 5,000 people attend at the game Football Worldcup The Football World Cup was held in Korea and Japan in 2002 . also was very very popular SEE ALSO REFERENCES |
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