SEOUL, June 2 \u2014 Pickleball is gaining momentum across South Korea, with participation rising among both younger and older players and public facilities struggling to keep up with demand.<\/p>\n
According to reporting by The Korea Herald, the sport has shifted from a niche pastime for seniors to a fast\u2011growing recreational activity attracting office workers, foreign residents and former tennis players. The trend has become visible enough that Seoul opened a 14\u2011court pickleball complex at Gwangnaru Hangang Park in April, one of the city\u2019s largest dedicated facilities.<\/p>\n
Coaches say pickleball\u2019s accessibility is a major driver of its growth. Cho Min\u2011jung, a former Korea Tennis Association board member who converted her indoor tennis centre into a pickleball venue, told the Herald that worsening economic conditions have pushed more people toward sports that require less time, money and physical strain than tennis. She noted that beginners can rally almost immediately, making the sport easier to pick up.<\/p>\n
Google Trends data cited by Korea Herald\u00a0shows Korean search interest rising through 2024 and surging sharply toward the end of 2025, reflecting the sport\u2019s growing visibility.<\/p>\n
Celebrity mentions have helped fuel interest, mirroring trends seen in the US.<\/p>\n
Variety\u2011show personalities such as Jun Hyun\u2011moo and martial artist Choo Sung\u2011hoon have featured the sport on television, while BTS members Jin, V and RM recently discussed playing pickleball during a livestream. Videos of the group playing overseas circulated widely online, drawing attention from younger fans.<\/p>\n
Foreign residents familiar with pickleball from abroad have also contributed to early growth. Korean American players interviewed said expat groups created spreadsheets and community guides to help people find courts, which later drew in more local players.<\/p>\n
The sport\u2019s rapid rise has created pressure on public courts. Lee Chul\u2011hee, former president of the Seongdong\u2011gu Pickleball Association, told the Herald that overcrowding is now common, especially in areas like Seoul Forest where multiple clubs share limited space.<\/p>\n
Some groups have begun renting private gymnasiums to secure playing time, raising concerns about unequal access.<\/p>\n
Lee also noted that some outdoor hard courts are tough on seniors\u2019 knees, even though older players remain a significant part of the community.<\/p>\n
Despite questions about whether pickleball might be another short\u2011lived lifestyle trend, players and coaches interviewed by The Korea Herald believe the sport has staying power. They point to its affordability, social nature and suitability for casual exercise \u2014 factors that align with broader shifts in how younger Koreans approach leisure.<\/p>\n
Community estimates cited in the article suggest there were roughly 5,000 players in 2023, but participation has risen steadily as more courts and clubs appear nationwide.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SEOUL, June 2 \u2014 Pickleball is gaining momentum across South Korea, with participation rising among both younger and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38627,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[23627,31,10645,23626,33,23625],"class_list":["post-38626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-korea","tag-google-trends","tag-korea","tag-korea-herald","tag-korea-tennis-association","tag-south-korea","tag-tennis-players"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38626"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38626\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}