Shinsegae Group, Incheon to cooperate on building domed baseball stadium

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean retail giant Shinsegae Group announced Wednesday it will work with Incheon to build a multipurpose domed stadium in the western metropolitan city.

Shinsegae currently owns the Incheon-based team in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the SSG Landers.

Earlier Wednesday, Shinsegae Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin and Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok met at Incheon City Hall to discuss their partnership over the construction of the new dome in the Cheongna district of the city around 30 kilometers west of Seoul.

South Korea currently has one domed baseball stadium: Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, home of the KBO club Kiwoom Heroes.

Shinsegae said the new dome will have about 20,000 seats. During baseball offseasons or on days when the Landers are on the road, the multipurpose venue will host K-pop concerts, e-sports competitions, and international exhibitions and trade fairs, the group said.

"By acting quickly on our plans for the dome, we'll make sure Incheon will be ahead of other municipalities in opening the era of a domed stadium," Chung said in a statement released by Shinsegae. "This will also help develop Incheon into an international city."

Yoo added, "I hope the city of Incheon and Shinsegae will work together as partners in the regional development."

SSG Landers manager Kim Won-hyong welcomed the news of the new dome, saying it will help eliminate uncertainty and unpredictability when it comes to playing through inclement weather.

"The biggest advantage of having a dome as your home is that players will be able to stick with their routines to prepare for games without being affected by weather conditions," Kim said. "During monsoon seasons, players are exposed to injury risks because of slippery and wet fields. The dome will get rid of those dangers."

Multiple rainouts cause major schedule disruptions in the KBO each year, leaving teams scrambling to play makeup games in the late days of the season. Starting rotations get messed up in such situations, a cause of headache for managers who already have so much on their plate.

"I think the dome will also make life more comfortable for fans," Kim said. "I hope we will see a stadium that can satisfy everyone."

The Landers' current home, Incheon SSG Landers Field, opened in 2002.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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