Min Hyungbae: “High Barriers in Seating and Ticketing... Urgent Need for Improvement”
Min Hyungbae, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.
The professional baseball league, which ushered in an era of 12 million spectators this season and demonstrated immense popularity, has opened its postseason. However, for fans with disabilities, the dream of attending games in person still feels distant, highlighting an ongoing issue. The problem of accessibility, hidden behind record-breaking box office success, is emerging as a key challenge that must be addressed for professional baseball to truly become a national sport.
On October 8, Min Hyungbae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Gwangsan-eul, Gwangju), analyzed data submitted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for the National Assembly audit. The analysis revealed that seats for people with disabilities at domestic professional baseball stadiums accounted for only 0.57% of all seats. This figure falls short of the minimum standard of “at least 1% of all seats” stipulated by the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Guarantee of Convenience Promotion for Persons with Disabilities, the Elderly, and Pregnant Women. Some stadiums even fail to meet the minimum requirement of 20 seats for venues with more than 2,000 seats, drawing criticism for their passive approach to providing spaces for spectators with disabilities.
In particular, the current legal loophole that classifies baseball stadiums as sports facilities-where installing convenience facilities is only “recommended,” not mandatory-is being pointed out as a major problem. Unlike Gwangju Kia Champions Field, which is classified as a “cultural and assembly facility,” stadiums such as Jamsil Baseball Stadium and Sajik Baseball Stadium are categorized as “sports facilities” and are effectively exempt from mandatory requirements. As a result, even though they are all professional sports venues, the standards applied differ depending on the local government’s classification. This administrative shortcoming is cited as a major reason for restricting viewing opportunities for fans with disabilities.
Accessibility in ticket reservation also urgently needs improvement. While most of the 10 clubs operate primarily through online reservations, only four clubs provide alternative text (alt text) for visually impaired users. With even basic digital accessibility not being guaranteed, as of 2024, the average reservation rate for seats for people with disabilities was only 33.41%, less than half the 74.79% rate for general seats. This clearly demonstrates the high barriers that fans with disabilities face from the very stage of ticket reservation, even if they wish to attend games.
Previously, in 2022, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea stated that “failing to provide reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities constitutes discrimination,” and recommended the establishment of on-site ticket sales windows and the guarantee of web accessibility for online reservations. However, even three years later, these recommendations have not been properly implemented, leading to growing criticism of the passive attitude of relevant agencies toward improving convenience for people with disabilities.
Min Hyungbae emphasized, “While professional baseball has achieved record-breaking popularity, the barriers remain high for fans with disabilities. It is urgent to conduct a comprehensive survey and devise fundamental improvement measures, not just increase the number of seats, but also address accessibility in the reservation system.”
He added, “For professional baseball to be reborn as a true ‘national sport’ loved by all citizens, proactive efforts are needed to guarantee accessibility for people with disabilities throughout all facilities and services.”
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