Dodgers and Padres to face off in Seoul next season: Reports

Kim Ha-seong picked up two knocks as the San Diego Padres lost 5-2 to the Los Angeles Dodges to round off their first series of the 2023 MLB season Sunday. When the two sides face off for the first time next year, they may well be doing it in Korea

Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres [AP/YONHAP]

Kim Ha-seong picked up two knocks as the San Diego Padres lost 5-2 to the Los Angeles Dodgers to round off their first series of the 2023 MLB season on Sunday. When the two sides face off for the first time next year, they may well be doing it in Korea.

The Padres and the Dodgers could be headed to Korea to play their opening series of the 2024 MLB season, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Sunday.

Citing sources at both teams, the San Diego-based paper said the plan is to play two games in Seoul in late March before returning to California for a few exhibition games before the season starts in earnest.

If the series goes ahead, it will mark the first time that MLB games have ever been played in Korea.

Both the Dodgers and the Padres have large fan bases in Korea.

The Dodgers are one of the most popular teams in the country. Park Chan-ho, the first Korean-born player to ply his trade in the big leagues debuted with the Dodgers in 1994, with a number of other players including Ryu Hyun-jin later playing for the club.

The Padres are the current home of Kim Ha-seong, a versatile infielder and a huge star in Korea. Park also played for the club at one point in his career and is now on the books as an adviser.

The possible decision to play the series in Korea comes after the launch of the MLB Mexico City Series last month.

The first edition of the series, which is expected to be annual, saw the Padres take on the San Francisco Giants on April 28 and 29. According to reports, tickets for that series sold out in under an hour.

“It’s going to be an honor for our team to go to my country and play a game there,” Kim was quoted as saying Sunday by the Union-Tribune. “It’s gonna be so fun, and I’m looking forward to it.”

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]