SEOUL, SEPT 20 – From Madison Square Garden in New York to Wembley Stadium in London, the biggest sports arenas and stadiums in major cities often serve as concert venues. But holding concerts at Seoul’s World Cup Stadium has been challenged by soccer fans who complain that such non-sporting events have a detrimental effect on the pitch surface.
A self-proclaimed fan of Son Heung-min on September 11 posted a petition on the state-run e-People website, calling for the cancellation of K-pop superstar IU’s concert scheduled for September 21 to 22 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong, Seoul .
The fans that the crowds expected to attend the concert – with 100,000 tickets sold in minutes – will damage the stadium’s turf which will be used for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
After facing Palestine at home on September 5, South Korea will host Group B opponents in the qualifying rounds scheduled until next year. But there have been various complaints from players, fans and even opposing teams about the poor condition of the grass.
“The third round qualifier between South Korea and Iraq is scheduled at Sangam on October 15 and the authorities should try their best to manage the grass there for the remainder of the World Cup qualifiers,” wrote the fan.
The fan cited the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Ordinance on the Installation and Operation of Seoul Sports Facilities, which states that the mayor can prevent or even cancel the use of a sports facility if an event is deemed to hinder the facility’s management work.
The controversy began when national team captain Son, who led his team to a 3-1 win over Oman, complained about the grass at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. He said the good pitch of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex allowed him to play with more confidence, while hoping that good management could be applied to the Korean host pitch as well.
In addition, Son once claimed that the grass conditions on the Seoul pitch made it difficult for him to control the ball and resulted in a goalless draw against Palestine.
The allegedly questionable condition of the grass at the Seoul World Cup Stadium has long been an issue here. Former national team player Ki Sung-yueng in 2017 jokingly said that he was not worried about playing in China, because the grass there, “can’t possibly be worse than in Seoul.”
As there are concerns about the condition of the grass, Seoul Facilities Corporation has installed new turf consisting of 95 percent natural grass and 5 percent synthetic turf in October 2021. Events have also been reduced at the stadium since then, with no concerts for a year since the new pitch was installed.
But due to renovation work at the Seoul Olympic Main Stadium and the ongoing baseball league at the Gocheok Sky Dome, the World Cup Stadium has become almost the only place in Seoul to hold mega concerts such as Seventeen’s concert in April and singer Lim Young-woong’s concert in May .
The Seoul World Cup Stadium operator has told local media that a warning about the grass has been communicated to stadium tenants, and should repair any damage to the pitch. Grass access is also limited to the minimum number of staff required to set up the stage and run the event, they added.
The performers also try to minimize damage to the grass, such as Lim’s concert does not install seats on the field. The IU agency also pledged to adhere to the policy by protecting the grass, opening the stage as soon as the concert ends, while keeping the grass hydrated and well ventilated during the event.
With concerns over the condition of the grass at Sangam, the Korea Football Association is considering whether to choose another venue for its upcoming home games. However, the association said the players’ convenience should be considered in any suitable venue change and sought to find a solution as soon as possible before the next match on October 15 against Iraq in the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup.- ANN/The Straits Times
