▲ Pohang Steelyard
During a K League 1 home match for Pohang Steelers, concrete debris fell from the spectator stand ceiling, prompting the Korea Professional Football League (K League) to launch emergency safety inspections across all clubs.
In a press release issued today (August 10), the K League stated, "We are currently verifying the circumstances and the condition of the facilities regarding the falling stone material from the spectator stand ceiling at the Pohang Steelyard. The league is conducting emergency safety inspections of stadium facilities across all K League clubs."
Earlier this morning, the league sent an official document to all K League clubs requesting safety inspections of their stadium facilities.
Each club plans to complete the inspections before hosting their next home match.
According to the league and Pohang Steelers, during the 22nd round match of K League 1 2026 between Pohang and Ulsan HD held at the Pohang Steelyard on August 8, a piece of concrete fell from the ceiling of the away table seats.
As a result, a spectator sitting in the seat suffered an injury to the back of their hand.
The injured spectator did not wish to be transported to a hospital and expressed a desire to continue watching the match.
Since both the away section and the all-fan zone (neutral section) were sold out, the club offered alternative seating in the home spectator section, but the victim chose to continue watching while standing away from the accident site.
The Pohang club explained, "This incident occurred while we were sequentially inspecting and supplementing the entire section of the aging concrete ceiling of the stadium."
The incident became known through football online communities, raising concerns among fans.
With a spectator casualty incident having occurred due to a falling exterior wall structure at Changwon NC Park, the home stadium of professional baseball team NC Dinos, in March of last year, attention to facility safety management has heightened.
The Pohang Steelyard is a football-specific stadium completed in 1990.
The league stated, "Through this emergency inspection, we will check for any abnormalities in facilities that could affect spectator safety within the stadium, and request immediate repairs and safety measures if necessary."
Starting this year, the league has been conducting "Serious Disaster Prevention Stadium Safety Inspections."
Risk assessments on stadium facilities are being conducted in cooperation with safety diagnosis companies, and inspections for 10 stadiums were completed in the first half of the year.
In the second half, inspections are planned for 19 stadiums, followed by ongoing follow-up management, such as verifying whether clubs have implemented necessary measures.
(Photo provided by Pohang Steelers, Yonhap News)
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