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The Dodgers will kick off their 2024 season against the Padres on March 20, but they won't be in Dodger Stadium or Petco Park. As part of the MLB World Tour, the division rivals will play a two-game set in Seoul, South Korea at the Gocheok Sky Dome, the home of the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO. Tickets for the first game went on sale on Friday, Jan. 26, and according to BNN Bloomberg, they sold out within an hour. At least 40,000 people were waiting in line for tickets to a stadium with a capacity of about 17,000 when the sale opened.
BNN Bloomberg noted that the most expensive face-value tickets were 700,000 won (524 USD) for first-floor table seats, while the cheapest in the outfield bleachers went for about 90 USD. However, Bob Nightengale writing for USA Today just one day later, said that resale tickets were selling for up to $1,300.
Shohei Ohtani to LA Dodgers as free agent made 'too much sense' https://t.co/dUCFUOaHU2
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 29, 2024
Padres-Dodgers Seoul Series ticket prices climb as fans clamor to Shohei Ohtani's Dodger debut
This is the Shohei Ohtani effect. It makes sense that fans, both in the US and abroad, would run and not walk to see him suit up in Dodger blue for the first time while also taking on a division rival in a country that Ohtani's Team Japan has a lot of historical beef with. Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto's dual signings with the Dodgers have captured the imaginations of Japanese baseball fans, who will undoubtedly also be traveling in droves to Seoul.
Also suiting up in Dodgers uniforms for the first time in their careers will be Yamamoto (an easy choice as the Dodgers' Game 1 starter), Tyler Glasnow (a possible Game 2 starter), and Teoscar Hernández. On the Padres is former Kiwoom Hero Ha-Seong Kim, undoubtedly a draw for Korean baseball fans who will be eager to see him revisit his old home stadium as an MLB player.
The Seoul Series will take place at 3:05 AM PST, or 7:05 PM local time in Seoul. Coupang Play, the Korean sponsors of the series, have also announced that both the Dodgers and Padres will take on the Kiwoom Heroes, LG Twins, and Team Korea in separate exhibition games. Although either getting up early or staying up late to watch the games in Korea will be struggle for American fans, it might be worth it to watch Ohtani as a Dodger for the first time while not breaking the bank to do it.