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Gaming and baseball dominate search interest
A holiday promotion for the tactical shooter Valorant topped Google’s trending searches in South Korea on Sept. 21, 2026, as gaming events and the Korean professional baseball draft drove much of the day’s online interest.
Searches for the “Valorant Chuseok event” exceeded 500, according to approximate figures published by Google Trends. Chuseok, often compared to Thanksgiving in the United States, is one of South Korea’s most important holidays. Interest rose after details emerged about an in-game holiday event and a separate Kakao Pay promotion offering a 10% discount on purchases of Valorant Points, the game’s virtual currency.
Baseball accounted for several of the day’s most searched terms. Right-handed high school pitcher Min Ju-hong ranked third after the Hanwha Eagles selected him with their first pick in the 2027 Korea Baseball Organization rookie draft. Min, the first player from Seorak High School to be chosen in the first round, posted a 2-4 record, a 3.89 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 11 official games this year. His fastball has reached 150 kilometers per hour, or about 93 mph.
Former major leaguer Choi Ji-man ranked fourth with more than 1,000 searches after the KT Wiz selected him 15th overall in the second round. Choi’s participation was unusual because the veteran has already played 525 Major League Baseball games and hit 67 home runs. Although he had been discussed as a possible first-round selection, KT chose him in the second round, citing the value of his experience.
The general term “draft” ranked fifth with more than 1,000 searches as fans followed selections across the KBO, South Korea’s top professional baseball league.
Fencer draws attention ahead of Asian Games
Yang Seung-hye, a member of South Korea’s women’s épée fencing team, placed second with more than 200 searches. The youngest member of the team is preparing for her first Asian Games, scheduled for 2026 in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan.
Interest spread after Thai sports outlets featured Yang’s athletic performance and appearance. One described her as so striking that viewers might mistake her photograph for an artificial intelligence-generated image, while another highlighted photos of the South Korean team and Yang’s social media account.
Entertainment, politics and a military accident
Teen singer Kim Da-hyun ranked sixth with more than 500 searches after veteran singer Sim Soo-bong made critical remarks about the 17-year-old performer and later issued a formal apology.
Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, ranked seventh with more than 500 searches following reports that he had offered to resign. The presidential office said the move reflected comprehensive responsibility for state affairs, while Kang also said he would continue to fulfill his role.
The Busan International Film Festival ranked eighth with more than 1,000 searches. Interest was tied to the release of the main trailer for “The Remarried Empress,” starring Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk and Lee Se-young, and reports that its festival screening had sold out.
The Army’s 25th Infantry Division ranked ninth with more than 1,000 searches after three soldiers were injured in what authorities believed was a mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone on the western front. South Korea’s president expressed hope for the troops’ swift recovery.
U.S.-China AI talks also enter the rankings
The term “AI” ranked 10th with more than 200 searches as South Korean readers followed reports that the United States had proposed an artificial intelligence safety framework during talks with China. The coverage also focused on diplomatic activity ahead of a planned summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Google Trends listed the rankings as of Sept. 21. The search totals are approximate figures supplied by Google and should not be read as directly determining the order of the rankings, which use different criteria.
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