Trash discarded by spectators accumulates at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, May 16, during a 2026 Korea Baseball Organization League game between the Lotte Giants and LG Twins. Korea Times photo by Kim Hyung-jun
Behind the Korean baseball league's record-breaking popularity, another statistic has been climbing even faster: waste. While the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League drew more than 12 million spectators last season, the amount of trash generated at stadiums has increased at an even steeper rate, raising concerns that the league has failed to follow through on its environmental commitments.
Ahead of Environment Day, June 5, The Hankook Ilbo analyzed data on annual general waste generation submitted by the KBO to the office of Rep. Lee Hack-young of the National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee. The analysis found that waste production at baseball stadiums has been growing significantly faster than attendance, prompting criticism that the country's most successful professional sports league has made little progress on environmental issues.
Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, home to the LG Twins and Doosan Bears, recorded the most striking increase.
General waste generated at the stadium rose 132.2 percent, from 214.44 tons in 2023 to 497.94 tons last year. During the same period, regular-season attendance increased by about 36.9 percent, from 2.17 million to 2.97 million spectators. The growth rate of waste generation was nearly four times higher than the increase in attendance.
