Facility Maintenance Scheduled for Completion by the 18th
Changwon NC Park in Gyeongnam, which has been closed since a fatal structural collapse in March, is expected to reopen as early as this month.
On May 9, Changwon City held an emergency briefing at the city hall press center and announced, "All facility maintenance required for reopening will be completed by the 18th."
Sungmin Lee, Director of Culture, Tourism and Sports Bureau of Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam (left), and Kyunggyun Lee, Acting President of Changwon Facilities Corporation, are holding an emergency briefing regarding the reopening of Changwon NC Park. Photo by Seryung Lee
The city stated that it conducted a safety inspection of NC Park from April 1 to 22 and received a "Grade B" rating, indicating minor defects that do not affect functionality.
The city also explained that, starting from the site of the accident, all 309 louvers installed at the stadium and the steel parking structure have been removed.
The city expects that, once facility maintenance is completed, NC Park will be able to reopen within this month.
It has been just over two months since an exterior finishing material, a "louver," installed on the outer wall near the third base concession stand at NC Park, fell during a professional baseball game on March 29, resulting in the death of one spectator and injuries to two others.
One of the louvers attached to the outer wall of the stadium near the concession stand on the third base side at Changwon NC Park has fallen off. Photo by Lee Seryung
Previously, on May 2, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held a meeting at NC Park to check the implementation of safety measures and recommended a detailed safety diagnosis for the facility.
The detailed safety diagnosis includes checks for natural disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes and is expected to take at least six months.
As a result, the reopening schedule for NC Park was postponed indefinitely, and on May 9, the day before the briefing, the NC Dinos announced that they would use Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium as their alternative home stadium.
However, it was confirmed that late on May 8, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport sent an official letter to the city, stating that the decision on reopening should be made by Changwon City and related parties.
Additionally, the ministry recommended conducting a detailed safety diagnosis and reporting to the Facility Accident Investigation Committee to determine whether reopening is appropriate.
As conditions for reopening, the ministry requested corrective measures for issues such as loose advertising boards inside the stadium, improper fastening of bolts on speakers above the spectator stands, and the stability of the tempered glass securing the railings in the stands.
The city believes that, since all the louvers that caused the fatal accident have been removed and corrective measures will be implemented, there are no major safety concerns regarding reopening the facility.
Accordingly, the city plans to complete the corrective measures requested by the ministry by May 18 and begin discussions on reopening.
The city also stated that the detailed safety diagnosis recommended by the ministry can be conducted during the season regardless of the reopening schedule, and that it will begin the process in May or June and make the results public.
In addition, the city plans to clarify the scope of facility management responsibilities before reopening, create inspection manuals for various facilities, and introduce a citizen safety advisory group.
The city also mentioned that, as early as May 30, it may be possible to hold a three-game home series against the Hanwha Eagles at NC Park, but it is still uncertain whether the NC Dinos will immediately return to their home stadium.
The city explained that if the facilities are normalized and the NC Dinos decide to play home games at NC Park, they can do so immediately. However, the final decision on hosting home games will be made through discussions between NC and the KBO.
The NC Dinos have reportedly stated that if reopening of NC Park becomes possible, they will prepare to return to Changwon as soon as possible.
At the briefing, Sungmin Lee, Director of the Culture, Tourism and Sports Bureau, said, "I offer my condolences to the deceased who lost their life in the accident," and added, "I would like to once again apologize for the inconvenience caused to citizens."
He continued, "There is strong demand for reopening from NC fans nationwide and Changwon citizens, and a swift reopening is essential to improve the performance of NC players. We will consult promptly with the KBO, NC Dinos, and others."
He also said, "We will prioritize spectator safety and strengthen the cooperation system among Changwon City, the Facilities Corporation, and the NC Dinos to create a safe viewing environment and ensure the earliest possible reopening."
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