Four Professional Baseball Games Canceled Due to Nationwide Fine Dust Pollution

Jamsil, Suwon, Incheon, and Gwangju Matches Canceled One After Another

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Four professional baseball games were canceled due to yellow dust covering the entire country.

The KBO canceled the professional baseball games scheduled for the afternoon of the 7th: Hanwha Eagles vs. LG Twins (Jamsil), NC Dinos vs. kt wiz (Suwon), Kiwoom Heroes vs. SSG Landers (Incheon), and Doosan Bears vs. KIA Tigers (Gwangju). The KBO decides whether to cancel games when fine dust warnings are issued or when dust concentrations exceed the warning criteria.

In the Seoul metropolitan area, including Seoul and Incheon, professional baseball games were canceled as fine dust warnings were issued from early afternoon. In Gwangju, the game was immediately canceled following the issuance of a fine dust warning at 6 p.m.

This is the first time that four regular season games have been canceled simultaneously. The KBO established regulations for game cancellations due to fine dust in 2018. Shortly after these regulations were introduced, in April 2018, three games were canceled at once: NC Dinos vs. Doosan Bears (Jamsil), Hanwha Eagles vs. kt wiz (Suwon), and Samsung Lions vs. SK Wyverns (the predecessor of SSG Landers, Incheon).

There were no game cancellations due to fine dust in 2019 and 2020, but this year, four games were canceled on March 29, near the end of the preseason, due to fine dust.

The KBO plans to hold doubleheader games at the same venues starting at 2 p.m. on the 8th.