SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres will kick off their 2024 regular season in South Korea, Major League Baseball announced Wednesday.
The Padres will face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Seoul, South Korea on March 20 and 21 as part of the MLB World Tour. The games will mark the first-ever MLB games to be played in Korea.
Earlier this season, the Padres played international baseball in a two-game series against the San Francisco Giants in Mexico City in April. The Padres won both games.
MLB plans to expand their international dates for the 2024 season. In addition to the South Korea series, there will be regular season games played in London and a return to Mexico City, the MLB Players Association said in a news release.
A Spring Training series between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays will also take place in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on March 9 and 10.
Both the Padres and Dodgers have a long tradition of rostering South Korean players, according to MLB.
Current Padres infielder Ha-Seong Kim is among the most popular players on the team. He signed with San Diego in 2020 after a successful career in the Korean Baseball Organization.
“The Padres are thrilled and honored to play the first-ever MLB games in Korea. Korea is a great baseball country with a rich tradition, passionate fans, and talented players, including current Padre and San Diego fan favorite Ha-Seong Kim. The Padres are proud to serve alongside the Dodgers as global ambassadors for the game of baseball with our historic 2024 Korea Series,” said Padres CEO Erik Greupner.
The Opening Series in Seoul will mark the ninth international opener outside the 50 United States and Canada, MLB officials said. Other international openers include series in Monterrey, Mexico, Tokyo, Japan, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Sydney, Australia.
Ticket information for the Seoul Series has not yet been announced.
