The Korean pro baseball league has established a new single-season attendance record despite negative promotion factors such as the 2012 London Olympics, record heat waves and typhoons.

According to the Korea Baseball Organization, the attendance total for all eight teams through Tuesday this season surpassed the previous annual record set in 2011, with 35 games still remaining. Given this trend, the figure is likely to hit seven million this year for the first time since the league was launched in 1982.

High-profile signings from abroad, including Park Chan-ho and Lee Seung-yeop, propelled the attendance surge early in the season. Korea’s recent international performances also bolstered the popularity of pro baseball. The KBO saw high annual attendance for three consecutive years from 2009 to 2011.

By Chun Sung-woo (swchun@heraldcorp.com)