The Korea Professional Football League (K League) has launched an emergency safety inspection across all clubs after a piece of stone fell from the ceiling of the spectator stand during a home match of K League 1 side Pohang Steelers.

In a press release issued today, the K League announced, "We are currently verifying the circumstances of the incident and the condition of the facilities regarding the falling stone from the ceiling of the Pohang Steelyard spectator stand," adding, "The league is conducting an emergency safety inspection of stadium facilities across all K League clubs."

Earlier today, the league sent official notices to all K League clubs requesting safety inspections of their stadium facilities.

Each club plans to complete the inspections before hosting their next home matches.

According to the league, the incident occurred during the K League 1 2026 Round 22 match between Pohang Steelers and Ulsan HD held at the Pohang Steelyard on the 8th, when a piece of stone detached from the ceiling of the away section.

Fortunately, no casualties were reported as the debris fell in an area where no spectators were seated, the league explained.

The incident later spread through online football communities, raising concerns among fans.

With concerns over facility safety already heightened following a fatal accident caused by falling exterior wall structures at Changwon NC Park—the home stadium of professional baseball team NC Dinos—in March of last year, anxiety among fans has grown.

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 stadiums, and request immediate repairs and safety measures where necessary."

Since this year, the league has been implementing "Severe Accident Prevention Stadium Safety Inspections."

Risk assessments of stadium facilities are being conducted in cooperation with safety diagnosis agencies. Inspections for 10 stadiums were completed in the first half of the year, and inspections for 19 stadiums are scheduled for the second half, alongside follow-up management to verify whether clubs have implemented corrective measures.

(Photo provided by Pohang Steelers, Yonhap News)