Changwon: The NC Dinos announced Saturday they will remove all aluminum panels at their home stadium in the southeastern city of Changwon after one of them caused the death of a fan during a game late last month.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) team stated that all 227 louver panels, installed on windows and walls at Changwon NC Park, will be taken down over the next four days. This decision followed the latest meetings involving the Dinos, the city of Changwon, and the city-run Changwon Infrastructure Corp. on Friday.
During a KBO game at Changwon NC Park on March 29, a female fan in her 20s was struck by a louver panel that fell off a window of the Dinos' office above a concession stand. She succumbed to a head injury two days later. The panel, which fell from about 18 meters above the ground, measured 2.6 meters long and 40 centimeters wide, and weighed approximately 60 kilograms. The deceased fan's younger sister and another fan also sustained injuries in the incident. Following the tragedy, officials from the Dinos and the municipal government initiated an extensive safety inspection at the ballpark, which had opened in 2019. The league office postponed and relocated several games initially scheduled at the stadium. As a result, the Dinos have yet to play at home this month.
According to the Dinos, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, along with the Korea Authority of Land and Infrastructure Safety, also recommended the removal of the louver panels. The timeline for when Changwon NC Park would reopen for games remains uncertain.
The Dinos had been slated to host the Samsung Lions for a three-game series from Friday to Sunday this week, but instead, they are playing at the Lions' home in Daegu. The Lions' home series against the Dinos, originally scheduled for August, will now be played in Changwon.
Additionally, the KBO announced on Saturday that the three-game series between the Kia Tigers and the Dinos, scheduled for April 29-May 1 at Changwon NC Park, will now take place at the Tigers' home, Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, approximately 270 kilometers south of Seoul. In exchange, the Aug. 8-10 series between the two clubs in Gwangju will be moved to Changwon.
Following this venue swap, the Tigers will face 12 consecutive road games from Aug. 5 to 17.