A Thirteenth of Baseball’s Crowd, So You Can Actually Get a Seat! Korea’s KBL Basketball Tips Off October 3—Tickets From ₩14,000, and This Season Both Seoul Teams Share One Arena [Things Worth Doing in Korea #26]

When people think of watching sport in Korea, they think baseball—we covered KBO in #11 of this series. Here’s the thing: the baseball season ends in October. From then until April, the place in Seoul where a whole section moves as one is pro basketball, the KBL.

Numbers first. The 2025-26 KBL season drew 811,185 fans, 3,004 a game. Baseball’s KBO has topped 11 million two years running, so basketball is roughly a thirteenth of that. Which means the weekend seats that vanish minutes after baseball tickets go on sale are still sitting there five days before a basketball game. For a traveler, that is the whole point.

And this season has a twist. Seoul’s two teams, the SK Knights and the Samsung Thunders, are sharing one building—Jamsil Students’ Gymnasium—because the Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium next door is being demolished. Every Seoul game, both teams, one subway stop: Sports Complex Station on Lines 2 and 9.

So how does a foreigner actually buy a ticket? The KBL app has a sign-up path for non-Koreans, but there’s an identity check in the middle. The sure thing is the walk-up ticket two hours before tip-off. From that routine to what a ₩14,000 seat actually shows you—let’s get into it.

Baseball Ends and Basketball Begins! How the KBL Works—10 Teams, 54 Games, 11 a Week

✔ From October 3 to April 11 there’s basketball in Seoul every week
The KBL (Korean Basketball League) has ten teams. The 2026-27 season opens Saturday, October 3 and closes Sunday, April 11, 2027. Each team plays 54 games, 270 in all. The scheduling rule is one game on a weekday and three on a weekend day, 11 games a week. On opening day the three games tipped off at 2:00 pm and 4:30 pm.

Two teams call Seoul home: the SK Knights and the Samsung Thunders. Normally they play in two neighboring buildings, Jamsil Students’ Gymnasium and Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium. With the Indoor Gymnasium now coming down, both teams use the Students’ Gymnasium this season. For a visitor, it’s the year with exactly one destination.

It helps to know the scale. The 2025-26 season drew 811,185 fans, up 6.46 percent, and the first time above 800,000 in nine seasons—since 2016-17’s 832,293. By team, Seoul SK led with 109,150 (4,043 a game). Next to baseball’s 11 million it’s a small market, and that is precisely why you can get in. Everything else follows from that.

SK Knights 2026-27 ticket prices (adult)

Seat	List price (₩)	Note
General	14,000–15,000	Enough for a first visit; the arena is small and you can see faces
Premium zone	20,000–45,000	Sections closer to the court
Floor (P, R, S)	35,000–50,000	Courtside
Open Match (Sept 24–27)	5,000–10,000	Preseason games, one flat price for all seats
Playoffs	16,000–62,000	From April 2027, priced separately

✔ Baseball first? Start here. “Cheer Songs for Every Batter and Chimaek for ₩10,000–30,000—Watching KBO Baseball” covers the same Jamsil routine, and it carries straight over.

Walk-Up Tickets Open Two Hours Before Tip-Off! Three Ways a Foreign Visitor Buys In

✔ The most reliable route is the box office at the arena
According to the SK Knights’ official ticket page, same-day tickets are sold at the window from two hours before tip-off until the end of the second quarter. Weeknight crowds are mostly locals coming from work, and even weekends don’t turn into the minutes-long scramble baseball does. Time your arrival at Sports Complex Station for that two-hour mark and you’re set.

If you’d rather lock it in online, use the KBL integrated site (kbl.or.kr) or the KBL app. Booking opens at 11 am five days before each game and stays open until 30 minutes after tip-off; cancellations close two hours before the game. Sign-up offers two paths, Korean national and foreigner, so non-Koreans can register—but after the terms page there’s an identity-verification step. That’s where it may stall, so treat the walk-up ticket as your plan A and the app as a bonus if it works.

Route three is a traveler booking platform. Trazy lists home-game tickets for both the SK Knights and the Samsung Thunders (a random third-floor seat with QR-code entry), but when we checked in September 2026 the listing read “currently unavailable.” It may come back once the season starts, so it’s worth a look before you fly. For questions, the Ticketlink help line is 1588-7890, daily 10 am–7 pm.

A ₩14,000 Seat Is Plenty! Prices, Seating, and the Shape of Game Day

✔ General seats are ₩14,000–15,000—think baseball’s outfield, but closer
The SK Knights’ 2026-27 adult prices are floor seats (P, R, S) ₩35,000–50,000, premium zones ₩20,000–45,000, and general seats ₩14,000–15,000. An arena is far smaller than a ballpark, so even from a general seat you can read players’ faces. For a first visit, general seating is enough. The preseason Open Match games (September 24–27) were a flat ₩5,000–10,000 for every seat.

A game is four 10-minute quarters and, with halftime shows and timeouts, runs about two hours. What makes the KBL worth it is the cheer squad and cheerleaders running the section-wide routines—clap along to the drum and you’re in within a minute. Basketball scores move far more than baseball, so you’ll know why the place is roaring even without a word of Korean.

Getting there: Sports Complex Station on Line 2 or Line 9. From Line 2, exits 6 and 7 lead into the complex, about a 10-minute walk; from Line 9, use exit 9. Station signs are in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese, so you won’t get lost. Jamsil Students’ Gymnasium (Google Maps ★4.1, 717 reviews as of 2026-09-17) is at 25 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu. After the game, it’s one stop to Jamsil Station for Lotte World Tower’s night view and Seokchon Lake.

An Hour From Seoul, Goyang Works Too! The Away-Game Option

✔ On a sold-out Jamsil day, Goyang Sono Arena is the next move
The easiest arena outside Seoul is Goyang Sono Arena, home of the Goyang Sono Skygunners (Google Maps ★4.5, 1,197 reviews as of 2026-09-17). On opening day, October 3, Goyang had a 2:00 pm game on the card. It’s reachable by subway Line 3 from northwest Seoul, and it’s the fallback for a weekend when Jamsil is gone or a weekday with no Seoul game.

One more thing to know: the SK Knights take part in the FIBA Basketball Champions League Asia, so there is a stretch of about two weeks when they don’t play league games. If you want a Seoul game that week, look for the Samsung Thunders instead. Checking all ten teams’ fixtures on the KBL site’s schedule page first is the trick that keeps a trip from falling through.

Anyang (Jung Kwan Jang) and Suwon (KT Sonicboom) have arenas as well, but this guide sticks to Jamsil and Goyang, the two where we could confirm both ratings and access. If you’re planning a trip out of town, book the hotel for game night first, then open the schedule.

Where to Watch? Map and Wrap-Up—Jamsil Students’ Gymnasium and Goyang Sono Arena

In one line: to see the KBL in Seoul, go Sports Complex Station → Jamsil Students’ Gymnasium, and be at the box office two hours before tip-off. Tickets start at ₩14,000, and on any given weekend one of the three games very likely has seats left. Ratings are from Google Maps as of September 17, 2026.

• Jamsil Students’ Gymnasium (shared home of the SK Knights and Samsung Thunders) — Google ★4.1 (717 reviews) · 25 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu · Line 2 Sports Complex Station exits 6–7, about 10 minutes on foot
• Goyang Sono Arena (Goyang Sono Skygunners) — Google ★4.5 (1,197 reviews)

FAQ

Can I enjoy it without speaking Korean?

Yes. The cheering is built on a drum and clapping, so you can follow the section on your first visit. Basketball scores move fast, and you’ll understand the roars without any language.

When should I buy tickets?

Walk-up tickets are sold at the box office from two hours before tip-off until the end of the second quarter. Online, the KBL site and app open booking at 11 am five days before the game and keep it open until 30 minutes after tip-off; cancellations close two hours before the game.

Can foreigners book on the KBL app?

Sign-up has a foreigner option, and after the terms page there is an identity-verification step. Some parts are unconfirmed, so the safe approach is to plan on a walk-up ticket and use the app only if it goes through.

How much do tickets cost?

SK Knights 2026-27 adult prices: general seats ₩14,000–15,000, premium zones ₩20,000–45,000, floor seats ₩35,000–50,000. Playoff tickets run ₩16,000–62,000.

Where do the two Seoul teams play?

This season both the SK Knights and the Samsung Thunders play at Jamsil Students’ Gymnasium. They are sharing it because Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium is being demolished; take Line 2 or 9 to Sports Complex Station.