Despite Warnings of 'Fall Risks', Large Speakers Still Hover Over Spectators

[Anchor]

Following a fatal accident last year where a spectator died at a professional baseball stadium in Changwon, South Korea, the government conducted safety inspections across all stadiums. However, after obtaining and reviewing related documents, SBS has learned that despite warnings regarding defects such as the risk of falling speakers at some stadiums, no follow-up measures were taken.

This is an exclusive report by Reporter Kim Jin-u.

[Reporter]

In March of last year, a man in his 20s died at Changwon NC Park after being struck by an aluminum structure that fell from the fourth-floor exterior wall of the baseball stadium.

Following the incident, the government conducted joint inspections of 12 professional baseball stadiums nationwide and delivered the findings to each club and local government in December of last year.

Gwangju-Kia Champions Field three days ago.

Spectators constantly move around and sit directly beneath the large speakers mounted under the outfield scoreboard.

Because so many people gather beneath these speakers, a detachment could easily lead to casualties.

[Kim Chang-pyo / Seo-gu, Gwangju: If it falls, since this is a walkway and there is a kids zone nearby, it feels quite dangerous.]

According to the government's "Professional Baseball Stadium Inspection Compliance Data" obtained by SBS, 10 out of 62 items flagged by the government at the Gwangju stadium—including the "speakers"—remained unaddressed.

During the safety inspection, the government expressed concerns over the potential falling hazard of wall-mounted speakers, pointing out the need for countermeasures such as restricting access to expected drop zones or installing anti-fall nets. Despite this, the club has delayed taking action until the end of the current season.

What about Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium?

It received 120 corrective points, out of which 22 measures have not been implemented, including "inadequate welding conditions for the outfield kids zone steel structure."

According to government findings, the compliance rates for both the Gwangju and Sajik stadiums hovered in the early 80 percent range, about 10 percentage points lower than the overall average.

[Yoo Sang-bum / Member, National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee (People Power Party): It is deeply regrettable that safety measures remain incomplete. I strongly urge that safety measures be fully completed during the off-season.]

The Kia Tigers club stated, "We judged that the speakers were connected relatively securely, and we will review various reinforcement options to take action after the postseason concludes." Meanwhile, the Lotte Giants club stated, "The work was delayed because we judged the relative risk to be low, but we will complete the repairs before next season."

(Video Reporter: Lee Seung-hwan, Bae Moon-san, Lee Sang-hak | Video Editing: Nam Il | Design: Seohyun)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.