Gwangju City to Replace Old Seats at Kia Champions Field

Mold Production Begins... Installation to Be Completed by August
Improvement Project in Line with Agreement Between City and KIA Tigers

Gwangju City has begun the replacement work of old spectator seats at Gwangju Kia Champions Field. Photo by Gwangju City

Gwangju City has begun replacing the aging general spectator seats at Gwangju Kia Champions Field (hereafter referred to as Champions Field). The city plans to carry out the replacement work in phases to avoid disrupting professional baseball games, aiming to complete the project by August.

According to the city on the 14th, a contract has been signed with a specialized manufacturer to replace 16,294 aging seats at Champions Field, and mold production has commenced. The contracted company is currently producing molds that fit the existing seat frames, with completion expected around mid-April. Once the molds are finished, chair production and on-site installation will proceed simultaneously.

This project to improve the aging spectator seats follows a mutual growth agreement signed last October between Gwangju City and the KIA Tigers to promote the development of sports culture in the local community. The city pledged to refurbish the seating and other facilities so that spectators can enjoy games in a comfortable environment.

Under the agreement, the two organizations committed to: ▲ contributing to cultural development through collaboration on sports-entertainment (sports + entertainment) projects linked to multi-purpose shopping malls ▲ making joint efforts to implement eco-friendly policies such as facility improvement and management, content development, and campaigns to reduce single-use items so that more spectators can visit the stadium ▲ cooperating on transportation policies, including improving public transportation accessibility and managing parking lots based on city policies centered on public transport, bicycles, and walking.

Kim Seongbae, Director of Culture and Sports, stated, "We plan to focus on the replacement work on days without home games to minimize inconvenience for spectators," and added, "We will make every effort to complete the seat replacement as early as possible to provide a pleasant environment for visitors to the stadium."