"What's Soccer's Fault?"... Soccer Fans Protest Jamboree K-Pop Venue Change

Concert Scheduled at Jeonju World Cup Stadium Originally for FA Cup
Soccer Fans Criticize... Jeonbuk Hyundai Considers Measures

The main event of the '2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree,' the K-pop concert, has been relocated to Jeonju World Cup Stadium. As a result, the schedule of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (hereafter Jeonbuk), which uses Jeonju World Cup Stadium as their home ground, has been disrupted, drawing criticism from soccer fans.

On the 6th, Park Bo-gyun, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Kim Kwan-young, Governor of Jeonbuk Province, held a press conference at the Jamboree Press Center and announced, "After considering capacity and transportation conditions, we decided to hold the closing ceremony concert on the 11th at Jeonju World Cup Stadium."

Minister Park stated, "Jeonju World Cup Stadium is not far from the Saemangeum Jamboree campsite, and above all, it is a place with accumulated experience and know-how in safety management. We judged it to be the optimal location."

Governor Kim also expressed, "We thank the Jeonbuk club for giving up the venue on the day of the performance and moving their game to another stadium."

However, upon hearing this news, some soccer fans have voiced their opposition. On the same day, a protest post titled "Jeonju World Cup Stadium is a soccer stadium" was posted on the Jeonbuk Province website bulletin board.

The author wrote, "Who would complain if the event was held during the off-season? If the club is paying a fair price, prioritizing the game is natural, but holding a concert during the season, and even overlapping with a home game schedule, is nothing short of robbery," criticizing the decision.

Several related posts by soccer fans were also noticeable on other soccer-related online communities and social networks (SNS). Fans strongly opposed the decision with comments such as, "Is the message that K League should just disappear because the Jamboree public opinion is bad?" "Ultimately, the problem is hasty administration, so why should the soccer community bear the brunt?" and "If this is the case, what is the point of the regional affiliation system?"

On the other hand, some posts expressed gratitude, saying, "Thank you to the Jeonbuk club for willingly giving up the stadium."

Jeonju World Cup Stadium Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, Jeonbuk reportedly received notification about the stadium usage from the Jamboree side on the 5th and is currently considering countermeasures.

Jeonbuk was scheduled to play the FA Cup semi-final against Incheon United on the 9th and the Hana One Q K League 1 2023 Round 26 match against Suwon Samsung on the 12th at home. However, due to the stage setup and dismantling for the K-pop concert on the 11th, a venue change became inevitable.

Currently, Jeonbuk is at a crucial stage, recovering from early-season struggles and aiming to enter the upper ranks. Especially at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, known as the so-called 'Jeonju Fortress,' they have recently achieved eight consecutive wins, including FA Cup matches, making the loss of their home ground all the more frustrating.

Jeonbuk has requested the Korea Football Association to postpone the FA Cup schedule for now. If the schedule change is not accepted, they will have to play at another stadium. A Jeonbuk official stated, "If rescheduling is difficult, we are also considering playing at Daejeon World Cup Stadium or Gwangju World Cup Stadium."

Holding concerts or various events at soccer stadiums instead of soccer matches has long been a sensitive issue. Above all, it is closely related to the chronic problem in the K League of pitch damage. After large-scale events like K-pop concerts, the turf is damaged, and since August is not a growing season for the grass, recovery is difficult.

For this reason, singer Lim Young-woong received praise from soccer fans in April when he performed a halftime celebration at Seoul World Cup Stadium, with all dancers wearing soccer cleats to protect the turf.

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