4 Billion Won Remodeling Followed by Natural Grass Dome Stadium?... 'Yongjin Hyung's' Love for Baseball

"Changes to Dome Stadium Design Will Continue"
Vice Chairman Jeong Yong-jin's Extension of Baseball Team Investment

It was reported on the 20th that Shinsegae Group has decided to actively incorporate the opinions of the professional baseball SSG Landers team in the design of the dome stadium facility inside Starfield Cheongna, a complex shopping mall currently under construction. A Shinsegae Property official, which is developing and operating Starfield, told Asia Economy on the same day, "Design changes for the Cheongna dome stadium are underway, and we plan to collect and reflect the opinions of the players." A group official also said, "We are currently in the stage of listening to various opinions, including those of the players."

The interior view of the Starfield Cheongna Dome stadium announced by Shinsegae Group at the 'Starfield Cheongna' vision declaration ceremony last month. The group explained that this is a preliminary plan and may change during the approval process.
[Photo by Shinsegae]

Starfield Cheongna, which includes the dome stadium, has a total floor area of 500,000 square meters (about 150,000 pyeong, from three basement floors to six above ground) and aims for completion in 2027. Since groundbreaking in July 2020, the landscape plan review for the dome stadium design changes has recently been completed, and civil engineering work is currently in full swing. The dome stadium will have a total seating capacity of 21,000 and will be the venue where the Shinsegae Group’s professional baseball team, based in Incheon, plays 72 games during the season. Since the professional baseball team will use the stadium for most of the year, it is known that the group has decided to actively reflect their opinions at the group level.

The players have reportedly especially hoped for the use of natural grass on the field among the dome stadium facilities. However, to lay natural grass, a retractable roof dome stadium must be constructed, and it seems that a final decision on this matter will require some time. A Shinsegae Property official emphasized, "Design changes will continue as construction progresses," adding, "Since this is our first dome stadium construction and there are very few in Korea, we will do our best to build it well even if it takes a lot of time."

The decision by Shinsegae to reflect the players’ opinions in building the dome stadium is interpreted as reflecting the will of Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin, the team owner. Since the baseball team was founded in 2021, Vice Chairman Chung has spared no investment in creating an environment where players can perform at their best. A representative example is the remodeling of the clubhouse this year, which cost about 4 billion won.

The dome stadium is also seen as an extension of such investments. Vice Chairman Chung previously traveled to the United States to directly inspect Major League Baseball (MLB) dome stadium facilities. At that time, he visited the home stadiums of the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers, posted related photos on social media, and wrote, "Researching and touring dome stadiums."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.