[Anchor]

After a fatal accident involving a spectator occurred last year at a professional baseball stadium in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, the government conducted safety inspections on all stadiums across the country. SBS has obtained government documents showing what actions have been taken since then. It turns out that while some stadiums were warned that loudspeakers could fall, they have not yet taken any action.

Reporter Kim Jin-woo reports.

[Reporter]

In March of last year, at Changwon NC Park in South Gyeongsang Province, a professional baseball fan in their 20s died after being struck by an aluminum structure that fell from the fourth-floor exterior wall of the ballpark.

Following the accident, the government conducted joint inspections on 12 professional baseball stadiums nationwide and delivered the corrective action items identified through the inspections to each team and local municipality in December of last year.

Three days ago at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field.

Underneath a large loudspeaker mounted below the outfield scoreboard, spectators constantly move back and forth or take their seats.

Because so many spectators gather under the speakers, there are concerns that if a speaker were to fall, it could result in casualties.

[Kim Chang-pyo / Resident of Seo-gu, Gwangju: If (a speaker) falls, this is a passageway and there is a kids' zone right here, so it feels dangerous.]

According to government data on "Implementation Measures for Baseball Stadium Inspections" obtained by SBS, 10 out of the 62 issues flagged by the government for the Gwangju stadium, including the "speakers," remain unaddressed.

During the safety inspection, the government noted concerns about the potential fall of mounted loudspeakers and pointed out the need for measures such as "restricting access to potential drop zones" or installing "safety catch nets." However, the team has delayed taking action until after the current season ends.

What about Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan?

It received 120 corrective notices, but 22 items have not been addressed, including "inadequate welding on steel structures in the outfield kids' zone."

Government verification revealed that the implementation rates for the Gwangju and Sajik stadiums remained in the low 80% range, about 10 percentage points lower than the overall average.

[Yoo Sang-bum / Member of National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee (People Power Party): It is very regrettable that safety measures remain incomplete. (We strongly urge) that safety measures be completed without fail during the off-season.]

The Kia Tigers stated, "We determined that the speakers were relatively safely secured," adding, "We will review various reinforcement options and take action after the postseason ends." The Lotte Giants stated, "Work was delayed because we determined the risk was relatively low," adding, "We will complete the repairs before next season."

(Video by Lee Seung-hwan, Bae Mun-san, and Lee Sang-hak | Video Editing by Kim Jun-hee | Graphics by Seo Hyeon-jung)