Fans cheer at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul where the first game of this year’s Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League is held on March 22. Yonhap News

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League, which became Korea’s first professional sports league to attract more than 10 million spectators last year, has been rocked by an unimaginable tragedy. On March 29, a baseball stadium structure collapsed during a game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, the home of the NC Dinos, and one spectator eventually died. The KBO designated April 1 to 3 as a period of mourning in memory of the victim and canceled all five games scheduled for the 1st.

This is the first time a spectator has died due to safety issues in the stadium. Changwon NC Park was completed and opened in 2019, just six years ago. The accident is even more shocking because it happened at a new stadium that is equipped with major league-level facilities.

Fans’ trust in the overall safety of stadiums is bound to falter. It is up to the KBO league to relieve fans’ fears so that they can return to stadiums without anxiety.

Each baseball team began conducting a safety inspection of its home stadium immediately after the accident. Not only inspection companies but also the teams’ staff are closely examining areas that were previously overlooked. “We've been inspecting the stadium from time to time, looking for cracks and sharp points, fixing them, and paying attention to safety,” says an official from a baseball team. “However, it is true that we could not have imagined that a structure would fall from a stadium."

New stadiums as well as old ones need more thorough safety inspections. At Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, which was completed in 1982, safety inspections were conducted by the stadium management headquarters of the LG Twins and the Doosan Bears. The Seoul Metropolitan Government also checked the safety situation. Sajik Stadium in Busan, which opened in 1985, plans to inspect the inside and outside of the stadium between April 1 and 3 when there are no home games.

Suwon Stadium, which opened in 1989 and underwent remodeling, also had its facilities inspected again for two days until April 1. An official from the KT Wiz said, “As Suwon Stadium has also remodeled its old facilities, we are fully preparing to prevent any safety problems."

Newer stadiums that opened relatively recently, such as Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju (built in 2014), Samsung Lions Park in Daegu (built in 2016), and Baseball Dream Park in Daejeon (built in 2025), cannot feel safe. The new stadiums have made many new and unprecedented attempts in the name of fan friendliness. There are also concerns that there are more structures and sculptures, which means there are more safety blind spots.

An official from the Hanwha Eagles said, “Due to strong winds, a billboard installer and our marketing team checked the risk of falling billboards on March 30. We also rechecked standing signboards of snack bars and other facilities.”

In addition to the existing SSG Landers Field in Incheon, the SSG Landers said it will also pay closer attention to safety issues at the new stadium in Cheongna, which is under construction. While other stadiums are owned by local governments and are being used only with the right to operate, the SSG Landers’ new stadium is owned by the team.

The KBO is ultimately responsible for league-wide safety issues, independent of each baseball team. It is also the KBO that needs to deliver tangible results and a clear message to fans so that they can visit the ballparks without fear.

If fans cannot get rid of their anxiety, the excitement of attracting 10 million spectators could be scattered like a mirage.

"We plan to reinforce the safety management manual of stadiums by referring to overseas cases. However, it is not easy to set a one-size-fits-all standard because each stadium has different environments," KBO Secretary-General Park Geun-chan said. " The KBO’s internal safety management department is continuing to communicate with each team. We are making efforts to come up with practical solutions, not just for showing something."