Kaylah Walton
J-Hope, the talented member of the K-pop group BTS, marked his return from compulsory military service with an exciting first pitch at the KBO Korean Series, earning cheers from the enthusiastic crowd in the stadium.
The match featured the KIA Tigers versus the Samsung Lions, but the spotlight was on the 30-year-old artist as he made a striking entrance driving a KIA EV9 SUV to the Gwangju-Kia Champions Field.
As he reached the mound, J-Hope honored his music career and fellow BTS members by wearing a deep purple glove inscribed with their popular phrase, “Borahae,” and impressively threw a perfect pitch straight over home plate for a “strike”.
After the pitch, he bowed to the audience and tipped his hat, then enjoyed the game from the executive boxes, where he was later seen having a great time alongside Bruno Mars and BLACKPINK’s Rose.
The Tigers secured a victory in Game 2, winning comfortably at 8-3, extending their lead in the Korean equivalent of the World Series after scoring three runs in the first inning in front of a crowd of 19,300.
J-Hope completed his military service, a requirement for South Korean men aged 18-35, unless they qualify for rare exceptions like soccer player Heung-min Son, who was not required to serve after his Asian Games success.
When is Game 3 of the 2024 KBO Korean Series?
Game 3 of the 2024 KBO Korean Series is scheduled for October 25, with the teams switching venues to Daegu Samsung Lions Park at 05:30 ET/02:30 PT.
The KIA Tigers currently lead 2-0 in the series as the Samsung Lions aim to fight back on their home ground, located 172 miles from Seoul.
