Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani on Tuesday shared a photo of him putting up a finger heart in front of a wall covered in English and Korean references to the upcoming MLB Seoul Series in a story on his personal Instagram account. The image, originally posted by the Dodgers and shared by Ohtani, was accompanied with a Korean Taegukgi flag sticker.
The Dodgers uploaded a series of photos ahead of their arrival in Korea on Friday for the Seoul Series next week showing players posing in front of the wall. Ohtani was not the only one to attempt a distinctly Korean pose — Freddie Freeman and Yoshinobu Yamamoto went for a full two-handed heart, James Outman and Max Muncy both attempted the especially trendy half-heart-to-the-cheek pose, and the majority of the rest of the squad at least tried a classic V.
Ohtani, perhaps the most famous baseball player in the world and already a popular figure in Korea, will likely receive a very warm welcome when he arrives in Seoul later this week. His repost of the Dodgers’ photo was particularly well received here, especially as historic tensions between the two countries have occasionally overshadowed interactions, even between athletes.
The Dodgers will arrive in Korea Friday and play their first game here on Sunday, when they face the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul. They will then face the Korean national team on Monday, before taking on the San Diego Padres in a two-game series on Wednesday and Thursday that acts as the official opener for the 2024 MLB season.
