Places Dodgers Players Visited in Seoul After Arriving in Korea

The first-ever 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) Regular Season Seoul Series in South Korea has ended. The players returned to the United States on the 21st, leaving great memories for Korean baseball fans.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, who came to Seoul for the series, traveled around Seoul and experienced Korean culture, receiving a warm response from fans through updates shared on the Dodgers’ official social media.

Korean fans shared sightings of MLB players throughout the series on online communities. Darvish Yu surprised fans by visiting a cafe run by Korean baseball fans who have supported him for a decade. The cafe owner, Lee Kwang Hee, shared the encounter on social media.

“I was really surprised that Darvish came to the cafe. At first, I couldn’t believe it. I became a fan after watching Darvish’s impressive pitching over ten years ago. Despite time, I believe his skills and character remain unchanged. I will continue to support Darvish more fervently than anyone else.” This story became a topic of interest in the United States as well.

The Dodgers stayed at a hotel in Yeouido, Seoul. On their first outing in Seoul, the players and their families took the subway line 5 to Myeongdong, where they interacted and took photos with fans they met on the subway.

The players’ first destination was Myeongdong, Seoul. Outman said, “I believe food tells you a lot about a country’s culture, and I’m ready to try any food,” showing his anticipation.

The players embarked on a street food adventure in Myeongdong, starting with popular tanghulu, followed by tornado potatoes, eggbread, and chicken skewers. They shared and enjoyed the food among themselves. They even took photos of the Korean food, seemingly experiencing it as something new.

After thoroughly enjoying Myeongdong’s street food, the players reported that they were able to experience a new culture in Myeongdong. Fernando Tatis Jr. drew attention by sharing a photo of himself eating hotteok and dumpling soup at Gwangjang Market.

Dodgers players like Mookie Betts, Miguel Rojas, and Teoscar Hernández visited Gyeongbokgung Palace, one of Seoul’s iconic landmarks, where they took memorable photos in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall with audio guides around their necks. Players and their families created good memories at Gyeongbokgung, where Kiké and Austin enjoyed Korean food like hotteok, fish cakes, and strawberry mochi at a Korean restaurant.

The players’ wives also had a special time in Korea. After the game between the LA Dodgers and Kiwoom Heroes on the 17th, they had some free time, during which they visited Olive Young, known as a mecca for K-beauty among foreigners.

As a group, they visited an Olive Young store in Gangnam, Seoul, purchasing various Korean cosmetics and taking photos with large Olive Young shopping bags. The photo included Dasha Outman, wife of James Outman, Kara Smith, wife of Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, and about ten others. The visit to Olive Young by the players’ wives was spontaneous, and the store had not been informed in advance. Dasha Outman shared on Instagram, “Korean skincare is the best.”

After shopping, the players’ wives visited a Korean restaurant in the IFC Mall in Yeouido, known for its charcoal-grilled specialties, where they enjoyed Korean beef sirloin and marinated ribs. An LA Dodgers official commented, “We were curious about the taste of K-BBQ. Tasting Korea’s rib menu and trying soju mixed with beer for the first time made for a satisfying meal,” expressing satisfaction with K-BBQ. The players’ wives enjoyed a fulfilling trip, experiencing everything from Korean cosmetics to K-BBQ, just like any tourist.