‘Son Heung-min boom’ sweeps LAFC as staffer handles 27 hours of calls
Choi Jin-ho works at the Los Angeles FC office in California. Courtesy of Choi
The sight of thousands of Korean flags at BMO Stadium during Son Heung-min’s home debut left Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) staff stunned and moved. Among them was Kyle Choi, a ticketing manager at the club.
“I’ve never seen so many Korean flags here before. It was emotional for me, and my colleagues kept telling me, ‘You must be proud as a Korean,’” he said in an online interview with the Hankook Ilbo on Sept. 2.
The match drew a sold-out crowd of more than 22,000, with chants of Son’s name reverberating around the stadium. The atmosphere was so intense that club staff compared it to a playoff game.
Choi, who previously worked for now-defunct K League 2 club Chungju Hummel, joined LAFC in 2021. Since Son’s arrival last month, he has directly felt the “Son effect.”
“Every year around this time we’re busy selling new season memberships, but this year the number of inquiries has skyrocketed because of Son’s transfer,” he said. “All 20-plus staff handling ticket sales have had their phones glued to their ears every day.”
The surge has been particularly strong from Korean companies. Choi said he logged 27 hours of calls in just three days, when a typical day would usually just have two hours of calls.
“The system records everything, and 27 hours was an all-time high. Now if anyone says, ‘The staffer who did 27 hours of calls,’ everyone knows it’s me,” he said with a laugh.
Memberships sold out at record speed. “Memberships usually sell out eventually, but this time the pace was extraordinary,” he said. “Around 90 percent of new buyers were Korean.”
He predicted even more Korean fans in the stands next year. “In the past, most of our crowd was local Americans and Mexicans. Next year, I think Koreans could make up more than half. With so many Korean members, we’re preparing related events too.”
Supporters cheer for LAFC's Korean forward Son Heung-min during a match between LAFC and San Diego FC at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif., Sunday. AFP-Yonhap
Club reshaped by Son’s impact
The scale of the “Son Heung-min boom” has surprised even the club. “Everyone at LAFC is grateful and values this momentum,” Choi said. “We’re putting special effort into events related to Son and marketing to Koreans.”
He added that staff often consult him before posting on social media to avoid mistakes, and the club has already started recruiting new personnel to handle Son-related partnerships for next season.
The “Son phenomenon” has also reshaped daily routines at LAFC. “We used to work remotely, but now with so much collaboration needed because of Son, most of us are back in the office,” Choi said. “It has brought new energy to the workplace, smiles to team members’ faces and even increased interest in Korea. We eat Korean food together more often.”
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hugs Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-min at Dodger Stadium, Aug. 27. Reuters-Yonhap
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.