In football (soccer) stadiums across the United States, England, and Australia, female sports fans take up as little as one-quarter of the seats. But in South Korea, women now account for more than 55 percent of the fanbases—significantly higher than the global average too. What sets South Korea apart from the rest of the world when it comes to sports and the gender makeup of their followers?

The presence and popularity of professional sports leagues in South Korea has paralleled the country’s strengthening economic growth trends over the past several decades. Accordingly, it has hosted a range of international sporting events, including the 1988 Summer Olympics and 2002 Men’s World Cup, that significantly increased the visibility of sports throughout the country. Such visibility resonated with South Korea’s long-standing and deep-rooted “fan culture,” which normalizes and encourages a strong appreciation for (dare we say, obsession with?) celebrities of all kinds. 

Especially among women, fan culture is prevalent. It is inherent to the massive K-Pop industry, which relies on fans’ deep sense of closeness to the musicians. Initially used to describe the extreme level of commitment showed by K-Pop fans, the term deok-jil also currently includes devoted fan behavior in sports settings. In the 1990s, young women began flocking to male college basketball games, cheering passionately in the stands. Female fans represent the majority of the attendees at men’s football (soccer) games too. 

The celebrity status of athletes, similar to that of K-Pop idols, also drives crossover fan interactions. That is, people not only travel around the country to support their favorite teams and players, or bands and musicians, but also develop parasocial relationships with those musicians and players through social media. To maintain their personal brands, the individual celebrities embrace such interactions, maintaining an active social media presence that encourages a feeling of familiarity and closeness.

In addition to these efforts by individual players, teams have capitalized on the demographic trends by expanding their product lines to offer a wider range of merchandise (e.g., women’s cut jerseys, headbands). They also have sought to increase their engagement by hosting events for women to play on amateur teams affiliated with the men’s team, including the annual “Queen’s Cup.” At a still higher level in the entertainment supply chain, stadium owners in South Korea seek to encourage stronger engagement and customer satisfaction by insisting on family-friendly atmospheres. Whereas football (soccer) stadiums in many countries are marked by rowdiness and hooliganism by the mostly male fans, in South Korea, the stadiums impose restrictions on smoking, drinking, and swearing. They also provide childcare facilities on the premises.

Despite the impressive and still rising rates of women’s interest in sports—which represent positive developments, in terms of establishing gender equitable access, enhancing appreciation for and communal enjoyment of sports, and expanding the market for teams—a significant lack of female participation and coaching persists for most sports. Unlike the United States, where Title IX requires equitable access to sports in schools, South Korea currently has no anti-discrimination legislation in place to encourage and expand women’s access to playing sports. 

Discussion Questions

1. Suggest a range of merchandising opportunities for teams, aimed at female fans. 
2. Could other countries leverage similar strategies to increase female fanbases? Why or why not?

Sources: Bénédicte Lin, “The Rise of Female Fans: South Korea’s Sports Revolution,” Goût & Design, February 27, 2024; John Yoon, “Women Outnumber Men in South Korea’s Sports Stadiums,” The New York Times, February 20, 2024; OpenAI ChatGPT, “Assistance with Research on Female Fandom in South Korean Sports,” May 19, 2024.