A "Ticking Time Bomb" Hanging Over Spectators? Safety Violations Left Unfixed Despite Fatal Accident

In March of last year, a 20-something professional baseball spectator was killed at Changwon NC Park in Gyeongsangnam-do after being struck by an aluminum structure that fell from the 4terior exterior wall of the stadium's fourth floor.

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

Three days ago at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field.

Spectators constantly walk past or sit right beneath a large speaker mounted under the outfield scoreboard.

Because a large number of spectators gather beneath the speaker, any detachment of the equipment could lead to casualties.

[Kim Chang-pyre / Seo-gu, Gwangju: If it were to fall, since this is a passageway and there's a kids' zone and other areas around here, I think it seems quite dangerous.]

According to the government's "Professional Baseball Stadium Inspection Compliance Data" obtained by SBS, out of 62 issues flagged by the government for the Gwangju stadium, 10 items—including the "speaker"—were found to be unaddressed.

Despite the government's safety inspection warning about the potential fall of the attached speakers and advising measures such as "restricting access to expected drop zones" or installing "anti-fall nets," the club has delayed taking corrective action until the end of the current season.

What about Busan Sajik Stadium?

Out of 120 flagged issues, 22 had not been addressed, including "inadequate welding of the steel structure in the outfield kids' zone."

Government findings showed that 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 / National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee Member (People Power Party): It is deeply regrettable that safety-related 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," adding, "We will review various reinforcement options and take action after the postseason ends." Meanwhile, the Lotte Giants club stated, "The work was delayed because we assessed the risk to be relatively low," adding, "We will finish the repairs before next season."

[Exclusive] Spectators Underneath Large Speakers... Despite Warnings of "Fall Risks" (Oct. 15, 2026, 8 News)

Reported by Kim Jin-woo | Producer: Choi Yoon-seo | Cinematography: Lee Seung-hwan, Bae Moon-san, Lee Sang-hak | Video Editing: Nam Il, Design: Seo Hyun-jung, Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.