In the future, when renting out Seoul World Cup Stadium for purposes other than soccer matches, such as performances, it will no longer be possible to install seats in the ground (grass) area.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Facilities Management Corporation announced on the 14th that they had decided to carry out emergency maintenance work on the grass at Seoul World Cup Stadium during the upcoming Chuseok holiday period, adding the following.
Accordingly, from 2025, rental of venues for cultural events such as singer concerts will only be permitted under the condition that ground seats are not sold.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government explained, “We have been managing the condition of the lawn by introducing hybrid grass, utilizing IoT technology, and securing spare grass stock, but recently, due to abnormal weather, it has become difficult to maintain normal conditions, so we have decided to change our rental policy.”
The controversy over the condition of the grass was raised when the national soccer team showed a less than expected performance in the home match against Palestine in the third round of the 2026 North and Central American World Cup qualifiers held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 5th of this month.
Team captain Son Heung-min said after the match ended 0-0, “Because of the grass, players with good skills had difficulty controlling the ball.”
Son Heung-min also criticized the management of the Seoul Stadium in an interview immediately after the 3-1 victory over Oman in the away game held in Muscat, Oman five days later, saying, “In a way, it’s fortunate that the away stadium conditions are better.”
Immediately after Son Heung-min’s remarks, criticism poured in on the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Facilities Corporation, which are the management entities, separately from the national team’s performance. Some soccer fans even filed a petition to cancel IU’s concert scheduled for the 21st and 22nd of this month at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also sent an official letter to the Korea Football Association to review the location of the Iraq match scheduled for October after checking the condition of the grass, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Facilities Corporation began conducting an emergency inspection.
However, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to allow IU’s concert to proceed as scheduled.
Reporter Lee Won-ju [email protected]
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2024-09-15 10:45:39