Before their away game against the KIA Tigers at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field on the 19th, LG Twins manager Yeom Kyung-yeop met with reporters and commented on the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s surprise announcement of plans to build a dome stadium in Jamsil the day before.
“The announcement of the plan to build a dome stadium was not discussed with the teams that use Jamsil Baseball Stadium, such as Doosan and LG, at all. It was announced as it was,” he laughed.
“The most important thing is the fans of Doosan and LG. There should be no inconvenience to the fans. It’s important to build a new stadium, but it’s something that Doosan-LG and the Seoul Metropolitan Government need to agree on so that they can find the ballpark without any inconvenience and come back.”토토사이트
“The fans come first. Where to play baseball is the most important thing. The Jamsil Sports Complex, which was initially discussed as an alternative stadium, is said to be unusable due to safety concerns, but we shouldn’t rule out the sports complex. It’s important for fans to come to the stadium next to where they are used to. Of course, the safety issue is the most important, but it’s a matter for the city or the two clubs to resolve.”
An aerial view of the proposed Jamsil Dome Stadium, which Seoul plans to build by the end of 2031. Photo courtesy of the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
“It’s a safety issue, but you just need to make the aisles wider, and I don’t think it’s too difficult. Also, in the Mexican League, there are many places that use both soccer and baseball fields. The soccer field was converted into a baseball field. It’s a long time, six years, and it doesn’t make sense for the fans to go to the wrong place, it’s inconvenient. The most important thing is to make sure that the fans, especially the fans in Seoul, don’t experience any inconvenience,” he reiterated.
After Dongdaemun Baseball Stadium, the birthplace of professional baseball, Jamsil Baseball Stadium with a long history will also disappear. Director Yeom Kyung-yup said, “Baseball people are stupid. When Dongdaemun Baseball Stadium disappeared, baseball players didn’t get together and hold a demonstration. We were also at fault when Dongdaemun Baseball Stadium disappeared. It got twisted from there. Baseball players should reflect,” he said.
Seoul announced on Nov. 18 that it will build a large-scale dome stadium like the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, and a world-class “sports and MICE (international meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions) complex” around Jamsil Sports Complex in Songpa-gu. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, construction will begin in early 2026 and be completed by the end of 2031. If all goes according to plan, baseball will be played in the Jamsil Dome Stadium from 2032. The project will cost about 500 billion won.
However, during those six years, the Doosan Bears and LG Twins, who call Jamsil Baseball Stadium home, will have nowhere to go. With no alternative, the surprise announcement was met with a bitter response from LG coach Yeom Kyung-yup, who said, “Fans are the most important.”
