t was truly a surprise, exciting the more than 25,000 baseball fans packed in the bleachers.

President Park Geun-hye showed up to throw the first pitch in the third game of the Korean Series 2013 between the Doosan Bears and the Samsung Lions at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on October 27.

 

President_Park_KoreanSeries_Article_04.jpg

President Park Geun-hye throws the first ball of the third game of the Korean Series 2013 between the Doosan Bears and the Samsung Lions at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on October 27. (Photo: Cheong Wa Dae)

 

Not only the fans but the players were stunned, too, when her name appeared on the scoreboard prior to the pitch. They soon welcomed the president with hearty cheers.

Wearing a dark blue hoody with “Korean Series 2013” on the front and a blue baseball mitt adorned with the Korean flag, President Park showed up on the mound ready to pitch. She threw the ball with an easy overhand pitch to catcher Choi Jae-hoon of the Doosan Bears. The president stepped down from the mound and waved to the crowds with a smile.

 

President_Park_KoreanSeries_Article_02.jpg

President Park (center) waves to the fans before throwing the opening pitch at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on October 27. (Photo: Cheong Wa Dae)

 

President_Park_KoreanSeries_Article_01.jpg

President Park smiles as she walks to the mound to throw the opening pitch at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on October 27. (Photo: Cheong Wa Dae)

 

 

President_Park_KoreanSeries_Article_03.jpg

President Park (center) waves to the crowd while walking from the mound with mascots of the Doosan Bears and the Samsung Lions. (Photo: Cheong Wa Dae)

 

 

 President_Park_KoreanSeries_Article_06.jpg

President Park (second from right) watches the baseball game with Eonbuk Middle School baseball players at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on October 27. (Photo: Cheong Wa Dae)

 

President_Park_KoreanSeries_Article_05.jpg

President Park (left) meets with baseball fans at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on October 27. (Photo: Cheong Wa Dae)

 


President Park is now the fourth president to have thrown a first pitch at a Korean professional baseball game. Former President Chun Doo-hwan was the first to do so in 1982 when Korea first began its professional baseball league. He was followed by Presidents Kim Young-sam in 1994 and 1995 and Roh Moo-hyun in 2003.

 

[Source: Korea.net]