진행자: 간형우, Chelsea Proctor

From niche hobby to public courts — pickleball gains ground in Korea

기사 요약: 중장년층의 틈새 스포츠로 여겨졌던 피클볼이 낮은 진입장벽과 강한 사교성, 유명인의 관심 등에 힘입어 최근 젊은 층과 외국인 커뮤니티를 중심으로 빠르게 확산되며 새로운 생활체육 종목으로 자리 잡고 있다.

[1] The sharp “pop” of plastic balls bouncing off paddles echoed across a Seoul park, where courts once mostly used for jokgu, Korean foot volleyball, are increasingly being taken over by players of the fast-growing racket sport pickleball.

paddle: 주걱, 라켓, 노

echo: 울리다

[2] Once seen largely as a niche sport favored by older players, pickleball is now attracting younger office workers, foreign residents and former tennis players, pushing the sport further into Korea’s mainstream recreational culture.

niche: 틈새

recreational: 오락의

[3] The trend has grown visible enough that Seoul opened a 14-court pickleball complex at Gwangnaru Hangang Park on April 16, one of the city’s largest dedicated facilities for the sport to date.

visible: 보이는

dedicated: 전용의

to date: 지금까지

[4] Players and organizers say the sport is now entering a new phase in Korea, driven by changing attitudes toward fitness, affordability and social leisure.

phase: 단계

affordability: 감당할 수 있는 비용

기사 원문: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10760113