COOLANGATTA, Queensland, Australia (Friday, November 3, 2023) - The World Surf League (WSL) is excited to announce it will be heading to South Korea for the first time for the inaugural Siheung Korea Open, which will be held at the Siheung Wave Park from November 17 through 19, 2023. The Qualifying Series (QS) 3,000 and Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) 1,000 events are expected to attract over 120 competitors from the Asia region as they look to qualify for the 2024 Challenger Series and World Longboard Tour, respectively.
"We at the World Surf League are so excited to be running our first-ever event in South Korea," said WSL Senior Manager Global Development Tours, Will Hayden-Smith. "Surfing's popularity is rising in South Korea, and we're looking forward to seeing the response this event will get from fans around the country and to give opportunities to the emerging talent from the region. Having both Qualifying Series and Longboard Qualifying Series events will ensure great participation, and running the event at the Siheung Wave Park will give our surfers from the Asia region their first opportunity to compete in a wave system. It's going to be a fantastic event and the start of something really special in this part of the world."
In late 2022, the WSL announced it would permit the sanctioning of wave basin-based events across Pro Junior, Qualifying Series, and Longboard Tiers at the regional level. After the success of the Rip Curl Pro URBNSURF QS 1,000 in Australia last December, the Siheung Korea Open will be an event of firsts. It will be the first Asia regional event to take place in a wave basin, it will be the first LQS event globally to take place in a wave basin, and it will be the first-ever WSL event in South Korea.
"We are extremely happy to have the opportunity to host a World Surf League event in South Korea," said JinSoo, President of Mirunamu. "This is the first WSL event to be held in South Korea and the largest surfing event ever in the country. There is already a lot of media attention and excitement on the ground, so we can't wait to see what the event brings when it is underway. We have been dreaming of hosting a WSL event for over three years now, and we'd like to express sincere gratitude to WSL for believing in this event and giving us the chance to showcase Korean surf culture as it continues to grow off the back of surfings inclusion in the Olympics. We look forward to also showcasing Siheung City and its impressive Wave Park to the world."
The evening of November 17 will also see a traditional ‘Hot Pot Event' to welcome the international field of competitors to Korea. The Siheung Korea Open will be broadcast live on Korea's largest network TV stations, MBC and OBS, for 3 hours on each day of the competition. The entire competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL's YouTube channel, and the free WSL app. Check out more ways to watch from the WSL's broadcast partners.