The dramatic decline of South Korean Boxing

The deterioration of South Korean boxing isn't solely due to the country's economic growth in the last 20-30 years. Recently in MMA you've had Jung Chang-sung - The Korean Zombie make a notable splash and gain notoriety. There are other Korean martial artists in recent years, but I'm not that familiar with them. IMO The main reason why we don't get top Korean fighters anymore is because of the tragedies that have happened inside of the ring. Choi Yoi-sam, Dong Chun Lee and obviously the most well known case - Kim Duk-koo.

 

Another factor is Taekwondo being the #1 combat sport in South Korea. Athletes who like combat sports are more likely to drift into TKD or a grappling sport instead of boxing because they pose less health risks compared to boxing. South Korea is a nation that prioritizes safety and security. But with the deaths of boxers most notably Kim Duk-koo vs Ray Mancin it's turned a lot of people away from boxing.

 

I think this article gives some good insights on the decline of boxing in Korea.

 

Yeah, Japan is a interesting case with all this current great fighters,
but listen, that makes the other argument being made here wrong too....
Japan is a rich country, super rich btw, Inoue and others did not grow in poverty by any stretch of the imagination, much the opposite.....

On the other hand thai fighters have seen better years in the past.

 

Good article. I'd say a few of those points could apply to Japan though. A rich East Asian country that is much richer now than it was during most of the 20th century, and also with an established domestic martial art scene, Karate and/or Judo to Korea's Taekwondo.

However, look at the success Inoue is having right now. Perhaps Korea just needs another star on the scene to jumpstart things.

 

Weird response incoming:

The height of boxing in South Korea was probably in the late 80s and maybe early 90s. Most of those guys would've been stepping in gyms for the first time during the 70s and deciding to turn pro in the early 80s.

GDP per capita in South Korea in 1975 compared to the US was $617 compared to >7k. In 1985, it was 2.4k compared to 18k. In the year 2000, it was 8k compared to 33k. Today, it's 35k compared to 70k. The gap in GDP per capita closed from less than 1/10th of the US to about 1/2 and the relative poverty rate there is within a few percentage points of the US.

I'm saying boxing probably got washed out as South Koreans achieved Western standards of middle class, as tends to happen in most places.

 

Professional (fake) wrestling and sumo are also popular in Japan. I think it's a cultural difference.

 

It's also kind of strange that they still have hundreds of active boxers, but few have actually had long careers.