K League Prohibited from Hosting Matches at Pohang Steelyard Until Safety is Secured

The Korea Professional Football League (K League) has decided not to permit matches at Pohang Steelyard, the home stadium of K League 1 side Pohang Steelers, until safety is fully secured following an incident where stone debris fell from the spectator stand ceiling during a match.

The K League announced on August 14, "Regarding the recent facility safety issue at Pohang Steelyard, we visited the site to inspect the stadium facilities and safety conditions, and determined that it is difficult to host K League matches in its current state."

Safety concerns were raised after a piece of concrete fell from the ceiling of the away table seats at Steelyard, a dedicated football stadium completed in 1990, during the K League 1 match between Pohang and Ulsan HD on August 8, injuring the back of the hand of a spectator sitting in the seat.

The K League requested the Pohang club to secure an alternative venue to host its home matches, but due to difficulties in securing one, the hosting rights for Pohang's home matches scheduled for August have been transferred to the opposing away teams.

Accordingly, the K League 1 Round 24 match between Pohang and Bucheon FC on August 22 will be held at Bucheon Stadium, while the Round 26 match between Pohang and Gangwon FC on August 30 will take place at Gangneung High1 Arena.

The kickoff time for both matches is 7:30 PM.

The K League emphasized that it will continuously monitor the safety diagnosis and facility repair process for Pohang Steelyard, and plans to withhold permission for K League matches until sufficient safety of the stadium facilities is ensured.

In addition, the league added that it will continuously inspect the facility safety of all K League stadiums and actively take necessary measures to ensure that players, spectators, and match officials can participate in a safe environment.

Meanwhile, the Korea Cup Round of 16 match between Pohang and Jinju Citizen FC originally scheduled for 7:00 PM on August 19 at Steelyard has been relocated to Gwangyang Football Stadium.

(Photo provided by Pohang Steelers, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.