The home crowd were expecting a triumph in their team’s opening match, with opponents Pakistan marking their first-ever appearance in the tournament.

A South Korean victory did not look in doubt after they moved into a 5-0 lead by the end of the third innings of the match.

Pakistan were unable to halt South Korea’s dominance, despite their best efforts, with the hosts eventually sealing a 10-0 triumph.

Venezuela joined South Korea at the top of the Group A standings after the South Americans sealed a 12-0 victory over Cuba.

Defending champions Japan, winners of the last four tournaments, began in typically confident fashion against Canada.

The world number one ranked team trailed 2-0 after the first innings but surged back to secure an 8-2 triumph in their Group B opener.

The Netherlands were also able to get their campaign off to a strong start, winning 9-2 against India.

Chinese Taipei recorded a 12-4 win over Australia and were joined at the top of the Group C standings by the United States, who triumphed 9-1 against Hong Kong.

The top two teams from each four-nation group will advance to compete against each other in the super round.

The sides who finish in the top two in the super round will then progress to the final, with the third and fourth placed countries battling for the bronze medal.

Free global live streaming will be available outside of territories covered by the broadcasting agreements, with fans able to watch here.

Twitter-owned SnappyTV will share action and instant replays from live broadcasts, in cooperation with WBSC's broadcast partners, with the aim of stimulating social media sharing and discussion.

Fan favourite highlights will be produced and video-on-demand will be available to worldwide audiences through WBSC's official social media platforms, following the conclusion of each match.