Who's Ready for Lions vs. Bears? Key Updates for 2025 KBO: Opening Day Announced, Changes Revealed

Exciting news for KBO baseball fans: the 2025 KBO League season will officially begin on Saturday, March 22 (KST).

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced the full schedule for the upcoming season on December 20, building anticipation for another thrilling year of baseball.

The opening games will feature home matches for the top five teams from the 2024 season standings. Matchups include Lotte vs. LG at Jamsil, Doosan vs. SSG at Munhak, Hanwha vs. KT at Suwon, Kiwoom vs. Samsung at Daegu, and NC vs. KIA at Gwangju. All opening series will be two-game sets. Due to stadium overlap, 4th-ranked Doosan will face 3rd-ranked LG as an away game at SSG’s home stadium in Incheon.

The 2025 regular season will consist of 720 games, with each team playing 144 games. A special highlight is the Children’s Day series from May 5 to May 7, hosted in alternating venues under the league’s biennial scheduling system. Matchups for this series include LG vs. Doosan at Jamsil, KIA vs. Kiwoom at Gocheok, Samsung vs. Hanwha at Daejeon, SSG vs. Lotte at Sajik, and KT vs. NC at Changwon. May 8 is designated as a travel day.

All-Star Game and Mid-Season Adjustments

The 2025 KBO All-Star Game is scheduled for Saturday, July 12, in Daejeon. The All-Star break has been extended from four to six days, running from July 11 to July 16, giving players more rest before the second half of the season kicks off with a four-game series on July 17.

Notable Changes for 2025

Aside from the opening series and post-All-Star break games, all matchups will follow a three-game series format. As of August 31, teams will have played 135 games each, with the remaining 45 games (nine per team) scheduled later, considering rain-postponed matches. Also in a departure from the usual league schedule, a game will take place on Monday, May 5. Traditionally a non-game day, this adjustment accommodates Children’s Day, a national holiday in South Korea, giving baseball fans a rare chance to enjoy live KBO action on a typically quiet day. To help players and fans cope with Korea’s sweltering summer heat, Sunday and holiday games in July and August will start at 6 p.m., an hour later than the usual 5 p.m. kickoff.

Rivalries Set to Ignite

Fans are already buzzing about iconic matchups like the Samsung Lions vs. Doosan Bears and the LG Twins vs. Lotte Giants. With the 2025 KBO League just around the corner, the countdown to another season of unforgettable moments begins.

Get ready for the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and the rivalries that make KBO baseball unmissable!