Evidence of Structure Removal Before Fatal Changwon NC Park Accident Involving Man in His 20s... Police Investigating Possible Negligence

In 2022, the team called in a company to remove and reattach the louvers
Changwon Facilities Corporation: "We were not informed about the removal"

In connection with the fatal accident in March at Changwon NC Park in South Gyeongsang Province, where an exterior wall structure fell and killed a baseball fan, the police are investigating possible negligence after discovering evidence that the structure had previously been detached.

The glass window at Changwon NC Park has louvers, which are exterior wall structures. Photo by Yonhap News

Quoting an announcement from the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency the previous day, Yonhap News reported on the 31st that the NC Dinos, the professional baseball team that uses Changwon NC Park as its home stadium, had removed and then reattached the louvers?exterior wall structures?a few years ago.

At the end of 2022, the NC Dinos called in a company to remove the louvers in order to replace the glass windows on the third base side of the building. These louvers are approximately 2.6 meters long, 40 centimeters wide, and weigh about 60 kilograms. Due to the building’s structure, it was reportedly impossible to replace the windows without temporarily removing the louvers.

Subsequently, on March 9, one of the louvers that had been detached fell for unknown reasons. Three baseball fans were injured in the accident, and among them, a man in his twenties who suffered a severe head injury died two days after the incident.

Immediately after the accident, the police launched an investigation and conducted a series of searches and seizures at Changwon City Hall, the Changwon Facilities Corporation, the NC Dinos’ team office, the louver installation company, and the supervisory firm.

Changwon NC Park, completed in 2019, is owned by Changwon City, and its management is handled by the Changwon Facilities Corporation, which is under the city’s jurisdiction. The NC Dinos operate the stadium under a consignment agreement.

The usage and profit-sharing contract between the corporation and the team regarding Changwon NC Park includes a clause stating that prior approval from the corporation is required for large-scale repairs or maintenance, and in urgent cases, the team must take action first and then notify the corporation without delay.

However, it was found that the Changwon Facilities Corporation had not been informed by the team about the removal of the louver in question prior to the accident.

A representative from the corporation told Yonhap News, "In April, after the accident, the corporation asked the team whether there was any record of louver removal, but the team responded that it was difficult to answer as the police investigation was ongoing."

The police stated that they are focusing on determining the exact circumstances and responsibility for the accident, and are also investigating whether there was any negligence on the part of the company that handled the louver work.