Shohei Ohtani won’t be the only VIP present at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome on Wednesday as K-pop idols, celebrity athletes and government officials join the opportunity to showcase South Korea to the world at the MLB season opener.
Before Ohtani’s debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Diego Padres begins — the first-ever official MLB game in South Korea — K-pop girl group aespa will hit the stage for a performance. Korean pop stars have surged in popularity globally, and SM Entertainment-backed aespa is among the leading lights: The quartet has more than 13 million followers on Instagram, one of the highest for a K-pop group.
Park Chan-ho, the first South Korean-born player to play in MLB and an ex-Dodger, will throw the ceremonial first pitch. At the second game on Thursday, male artist Baekhyun will sing both the South Korean and U.S. national anthems, and another girl group, (G)I-DLE, will perform. Key diplomatic figures will be in attendance too, including the U.S. and Japanese ambassadors to South Korea and South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister, according to government releases.