Most popular sports participated South Korea 2023

According to a survey about the most popular sports in South Korea in 2023, around 43 percent of respondents stated that they took walks as their favorite sport, while another 17.4 percent chose hiking. Aside from these top two favorite sports, indoor sports activities such as bowling or gymnastics were popular. That year, about 62 percent of the respondents were taking part in regular sports activities at least once a week.

Interest in physical well-being

In recent years, fitness has become a topic of interest among South Koreans. The leading source of motivation for sports participation was to maintain health, with weight control and stress relief following a significant margin. While less than a quarter of survey respondents did not spend any money on sports activities, the majority answered to spend various amounts.

Sporting goods expenditures

Having the right exercise equipment is essential to South Korean consumers, with a significant share of people purchasing sporting goods. The sales of such products were predominantly shoes and apparel. In 2022, the United States-based company Nike was the most popular sportswear brand, with its products being a common sight in fitness studios as well as prevalent in streetwear fashion.