This June 1, 2025, file photo shows a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game between the Hanwha Eagles and the NC Dinos being played at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 25 (Korea Bizwire) — Nearly two months after threatening to relocate amid a feud with their home city, the NC Dinos said Friday they will “seriously consider” an offer from another town.
Seongnam, located just south of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province, has emerged as a likely destination for the Dinos, currently based in the southeastern town of Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province.
The Dinos’ corporate owner, the game developer NCSOFT, is headquartered in Seongnam.
“With the popularity of baseball at a peak, it’s only natural for the city of Seongnam to show interest in hosting a professional baseball club,” a Dinos official said. “Given the long relationship between NCSOFT and Seongnam, if the city makes us a good offer, we will seriously consider it.”
The Dinos and Changwon have been at odds for months. On March 29, an aluminum panel fell from above a concession stand at Changwon NC Park and killed an unsuspecting fan during a Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) game, prompting extensive safety inspections and maintenance work at the stadium while the Dinos spent the next month and a half on the road.
In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, Changwon was criticized for shunning responsibility even though it owns the stadium. Baseball fans later hammered the city for dragging its feet when the Dinos were trying to determine a return date following the end of inspections.
The Dinos ended up playing six alternate home games in Ulsan, just northeast of Changwon, before returning to their original home at the end of May.
It was then that Dinos CEO Lee Jin-man declared the club would move if its demands aren’t met by Changwon while also accusing the city of treating the club “unreasonably.”
The city responded by creating a task force to handle the Dinos’ demands and announced Thursday it would start offering free shuttle services for fans until Aug. 24 to make Changwon NC Park more accessible.
While Changwon was scrambling to meet the Dinos’ demands, the ball club had been fielding offers from other municipalities.
The Dinos once said some cities had offered better conditions than Changwon.
Seongnam has never had a baseball team. But in March this year, it signed an agreement with the KBO to turn Seongnam Stadium, used for football and athletics events, into a baseball stadium by 2027.
Later in the day, Changwon announced it will hold a public meeting at 3 p.m. next Thursday to update local baseball fans and media on its plans to follow up on the Dinos’ demands.
“Since our plans require an extra budget, we felt it was only right to keep our residents informed and hear what they have to say before proceeding,” a Changwon official said. “We will have a Q&A session after our presentation that day, and the meeting is open to everyone.”
(Yonhap)
