1 Trillion Won Investment for 50,000-Seat Stadium
Completion Target Set for 2031
Chungnam Province has begun in earnest the construction of a 50,000-seat K-pop dome stadium in Cheonan and Asan. The plan aims to decentralize the performance and cultural infrastructure that is currently concentrated in Seoul, thereby creating a national-level cultural hub. By establishing a large-scale infrastructure at the heart of the Chungcheong region to meet the demand for K-culture, the strategy is to simultaneously foster the culture, tourism, and sports industries.
On December 29, the Chungnam Provincial Government held an “Expert Advisory Meeting on the Construction of the Cheonan-Asan Multipurpose Dome Stadium” in the main conference room of the provincial office, presided over by Governor Kim Taeheum, officially launching the project procedures.
The meeting was attended by about 20 experts in sports marketing, performances, architecture, and urban development, who reviewed policy alignment, demand forecasts, funding sources, and operational feasibility.
The Cheonan-Asan dome stadium is a large-scale project that was officially announced at Governor Kim’s press conference on November 18.
According to the province, a total of 1 trillion won will be invested to develop a site of 200,000 square meters within a 10-20 minute walk from KTX Cheonan-Asan Station, with the goal of completing a stadium with over 50,000 seats by 2031. The aim is to create a year-round, permanent, multi-purpose facility unaffected by weather or season.
The dome stadium will host more than 30 professional baseball games annually, as well as soccer matches and ice rink operations, and will attract K-pop concerts, exhibitions, and corporate events for 150 to 200 days each year.
Professional baseball games will be operated in consultation with the Korea Baseball Organization, and K-pop concerts will be promoted in cooperation with major domestic entertainment companies.
Governor Kim stated, “There is an absolute shortage of large-scale concert venues in Korea compared to the global status of K-pop,” adding, “Cheonan and Asan are at the crossroads of the Gyeongbu and Honam railway lines, making them accessible from anywhere in the Seoul metropolitan area within an hour.”
He emphasized, “We will go beyond the current structure of cultural infrastructure concentrated on the outskirts of Seoul to create a new national cultural hub.”
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recently mentioned the need to expand K-pop performance infrastructure and, in the long term, to build a 50,000-seat dome stadium in its 2026 work plan.
The province expects that the project will gain momentum based on its alignment with national policy.
Starting in January next year, the province will launch a feasibility study to comprehensively review site analysis, domestic and international case studies, funding and operational models, and the economic ripple effects.
After establishing the basic plan and selecting the site in the second half of next year, a preliminary feasibility study will be conducted in 2027, followed by detailed design, land compensation, and permits in 2028, with construction scheduled to begin thereafter.
Governor Kim said, “The multipurpose dome stadium is not merely a sports facility, but a strategic hub encompassing the culture, performance, and sports industries,” adding, “We will fully reflect expert opinions to enhance the completeness of policy decisions.”
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