( CNN ) -- He 's a bespectacled , middle-aged South Korean guy with a corporate job . But he has already swept Twitter and the international media , which swarmed him at the airport as he departed . The uber fan who captured the heart of Kansas City is to arrive at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday for Game 1 of the World Series . Lee SungWoo has become the unlikely talisman for the surprise contenders , the Kansas City Royals . His nearly 20 year-long obsession with the baseball team from afar has become the feel-good story . After becoming a fan in the 1990s , Lee followed the Royals , barely missing a game , despite the 14-hour difference between Kansas City and Seoul . He paid little heed that the Royals had n't made the playoffs in the last 29 years . In a 2012 interview , he tried to explain to a local website about his love for the Royals . Writing in English , which is n't his native language , he wrote : `` What made me of being a Royals fan ? Now I ca n't tell why ... just like many of you , Royals fans , I was sort of ... underdog lover ? sympathy ? `` It was much more thrilled Royals beat big market teams rather than big market teams win against weak teams . '' He had no ties to the team or the place . When he was asked whether he would come to Kansas City if the team made it to the World Series , he responded , `` Whoa ! Royals can make it to the World series ever ? ? ? `` But If , big If , Royals go to world series , I would try this that one ? '' Through the dismal losses and last place finishes , Lee 's exuberance for the team did n't wane . His loyalty struck other Royals fans and Kansas City residents as sincere and dedicated . San Francisco stations ban Lorde 's 'Royals ' After nearly two decades of watching from afar , he arrived in Kansas City for the first time in August . During his visit , the Royals went on a 9-1 streak , causing some fans to speculate that he was a good luck charm . The Royals swept the San Francisco Giants in three games during Lee 's visit -- the very team that it now faces in the World Series . Lee became a local sensation with TV stations covering his appearances and it spread to national outlets . Long after Lee returned to South Korea , Royal fans remembered his dedication as the team trounced the opposing teams during the post season . One fan even unfurled the South Korean flag as an ode to Lee . Some even brought replica of Lee for televised interviews . With the World Series to start on Tuesday , the Royals fans began demanding that Lee return to Kansas City to watch . Hashtags like # FreeSungWoo , # SungWooToKC and # SungWooSeries sprang up on Twitter . The hashtag # BringBackSungWoo began to trend in the United States . Following some intense lobbying , Lee will be on hand to watch the game -- with documentary filmmakers and South Korea media following his moves . Even the Major League Baseball 's Twitter account acknowledged , `` From backflips to @ Koreanfan_KC , there 's magic brewing in Kansas City all year long . The first game of the World Series starts 8:00 p.m . ET on Tuesday .
Unlikely story about a Korean fan of the Royals made waves this summer . Lee SungWoo will be returning to Kansas City to watch World Series . Score: 6