Baseball Cheering Culture in Busan

 

Posted by Katee of Sajik Girls High School from their annual magazine, The Creator. 

Cheering Culture of Busan Baseball

           Have you ever heard of the cheering culture of baseball in Busan? Cheering culture is common since it can be seen in any baseball games. However when you get to know about the unique ways that Busan citizens use to cheer in baseball, you will become interested in it. It can be sorted into mainly three groups; food, words, and tools.

           First of all, although there are numerous food Busan citizens eat while cheering, chicken is the best among them all. It isn’t that there are specific rules of what food to eat while watching a game. However, chicken is considered to be the typical food for baseball that is easy to buy, and easy to eat. Watching baseball becomes extra fun when you watch it while eating chicken with beer.

           Secondly, you can enjoy a lot of special cheering acts. What people from outside of Busan finds most interesting is shouting “Ma!” during the game. This word is part of Busan dialect and therefore, exists only in Busan. It can be used in various situations, but while watching baseball, the meaning becomes accusatory and close to the meaning, “what the heck”. Isn’t it fun to know how sentences can be compressed into a single word?

           Lastly, there are unique cheering tools in Busan’s baseball. At around eighth inning, people starts handing out orange colored plastic bags, that can be turned into a cheering costume. You could tie it around you head, shaped like a round ball, or wear it around your arms. When the game is finished, the plastic bags could also be used as garbage bag for people to clean up their own mess.

           How about coming to watch baseball in Busan this summer? You could experience the city’s unique cheering culture along with indescribable excitement! There are many more exciting things waiting for you in Sajik Stadium that we did not have the chance to mention. How about experiencing the exhilarating atmosphere of baseball in person?