South Korean Teams Fight for Attention at Home South Korean soccer has a longer history of success than the recently popular South Korean music. But while the country's pop music exploits have been well documented and received, soccer success has been greeted with what can only be described as public indifference. K-League members have been crowned Asian soccer champions nine times, equal to the next two most successful countries -- Japan and Saudi Arabia -- combined. And there could be a 10th this season. But while the hardcore soccer fans enjoy seeing K-League teams perform well on the continental stage, the nation as a whole is just not that interested. Famously, the all-South Korean semifinal in 2006 between Jeonbuk Motors and Ulsan Horangi was not televised live. Six years later, Ulsan is again in the final four and again had the home leg of its quarterfinal victory over Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia shown on a delayed broadcast. The second leg, a stunning 4-0 win in Riyadh, was live -- at 2 a.m. Baseball wins out with broadcasters almost every time. It wasn't always thus. When K-League club Suwon Bluewings won the last two titles of the old Asian Club Championship that ceased to exist in 2002, baseball was in the doldrums and soccer, helped by the Taeguk Warriors' run to the semifinal of that year's World Cup, was everywhere. In 2003, the Asian Champions League was born. For the first three years, West Asia took the trophy but since Jeonbuk's 2006 success, it has been about East Asia and mostly South Korea. South Korean teams have won three out of the last six and one was last year's runner-up. Perhaps most impressively, out of 12 teams entered in the past three editions, only three failed to reach the quarterfinal stage. Chinese clubs, which draw big crowds, have had just one representative reach the final eight in the past six years. No country's league can match the K-League's consistency, season in, season out. Since 2003, only once -- in 2008 -- did a Korean team fail to make the final four. It is a remarkable record especially because Japan boasts the continent's top league and Saudi Arabia makes an argument for itself. Japan's league is better in organization, marketing, youth development and attendance. Even South Korean fans admit that. But when it comes to standards on the field, K-League followers insist that theirs is the best all-round competition with strength all the way to the bottom of the table. South Korean teams do not have the spending power of certain West Asian nations and China, but there is enough money to attract overseas players of good standard with the top teams -- backed by conglomerates such as Hyundai and Samsung -- having long-serving foreigners on their rosters. The country's youth development may lag behind Japan's but it is still the second best in Asia and steadily improving. The physical prowess, pace and hard work of the average Korean player combined with a high level of technical ability means that any K-League team is hard to beat. More pragmatic than the average J-League squad, more technical than the Chinese and more battle-hardened and aggressive than many from West Asia, South Koreans have the knack of winning. They travel to any country in the continent -- Saudi Arabia, Iran or Japan -- confident of heading home with a result. In recent years the K-League's format -- a reasonably short season with the top six entering the playoffs -- has helped. Teams could afford to take one or two games slightly easier at home if there were lengthy midweek trips to prepare for or recover from. This season is different: 44 games with no playoffs means a tough time for all. It took Ulsan 22 hours to return from Saudi Arabia. In the final eight weeks of the season, UIsan has 11 league games, two international breaks to cope with and ongoing continental commitments. Ulsan has fallen out of contention for the title -- with such a domestic schedule it would be truly difficult not to do so -- but it has not been championship threat since winning in 2005. The team finished sixth last season, thanks to a strong defense. The additions of national team attacker Lee Keun-ho and Brazilian striker Rafinha gave the Tigers more bite going forward and it is set up to do well in Asia. Naturally conservative but now quick and clinical on the counter, Ulsan can play but can also battle. And that 4-0 win in Riyadh on Wednesday against Al Hilal, two-time Asian champion and 13-time domestic title-holder, sent a message to the rest of the continent that Ulsan can win the lot. Al Hilal just does not lose 4-0 at home. A 10th title for South Korea would be a huge achievement, more impressive than 400 million views (and counting), of the "Gangnam Style" video on YouTube. If only it could command the same pride at home. John Duerden is the editor of Kick Off Asia.