Media members take part in a tour of Changwon NC Park in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, on May 19, 2025, following the completion of safety inspections and maintenance work at the stadium for the Korea Baseball Organization club NC Dinos, in this photo provided by Changwon. (Yonhap)
CHANGWON, South Korea, May 19 (Korea Bizwire) – Officials in Changwon announced Monday the baseball stadium in the southeastern city is ready to welcome back its tenant after completing necessary safety inspections and maintenance work.
Changwon opened the gates of Changwon NC Park, home of the NC Dinos in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), to the local media Monday morning, with a select number of local residents also scheduled to get an in-person look later in the day.
The stadium had remained closed since a fan died of a head injury sustained in a freak incident during a KBO game between the Dinos and the LG Twins on March 29. A louver panel fell off a window of the Dinos’ office above a concession stand on the third base side and struck the fan. In response, Changwon removed the more than 200 remaining louver pieces from the stadium.
The tragedy forced the Dinos to remain on the road for well over a month, while the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport asked the club and city officials to meet safety requirements at the stadium, which opened in 2019.
After the Dinos, Changwon and the ministry failed to agree on the timetable for the stadium’s reopening earlier this month, the Dinos found a temporary home in Ulsan, about 70 kilometers northeast of Changwon.
The Dinos played their first three games there over the weekend and have three more games coming up this week starting Tuesday.
The municipal government at Changwon has been pressuring the Dinos to return home immediately, but the Dinos have responded they will have to honor their agreement with Ulsan and will play in the temporary home “for the time being.”
With the stadium apparently ready, it is now up to the Dinos and the league office to decide exactly when the Dinos will resume playing at their original home park.
After this week, the next set of home games for the Dinos is set for May 30-June 1. Changwon officials hope the baseball team will be back in their city by May 30 at the earliest.
(Yonhap)
