MLB exploring possible All-Star tour in Korea after 2014

A tour of Korea or Taiwan would allow the MLB to have a presence in the growing popularity of baseball in both countries.

The MLB is considering a postseason All-Star tour in Korea and/or Taiwan following the 2014 season, reports Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune.

Major League Baseball has traditionally played a series of All-Star games in Japan following every even-numbered season since 1986. However, those games have not taken place since 2006 due in part to the advent of the World Baseball Classic that same year. During the 2006 series, Japanese players such as Yu Darvish, Norichika Aoki and Kei Igawa competed against an MLB roster including Joe Mauer, Ryan Howard, David Wright and Jose Reyes.

Bringing the same type of series to South Korea and Taiwan would allow the MLB to demonstrate its game in another country with a growing baseball presence. Hyun-Jin Ryu signed with the Dodgers last offseason after playing in Korea and posted a 3.00 ERA through 30 regular season starts. He will start Game 3 of the NLCS.

Other Korean-born players such as Shin-Soo Choo and Chan-Ho Park have also found success in the MLB. Pitchers Chien-Ming Wang and Wei-Yin Chen were both born in Taiwan.