South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong have both moved to build a "dome stadium," jumping into a race to secure major cultural and sports infrastructure. But given the heavy funding burden and post-completion utilization issues, analysts say the key to a dome stadium's success will ultimately hinge on professional baseball—specifically, how many Hanwha Eagles home games, the team based in the Chungcheong region, they can attract.
According to government circles on the 30th, South Chungcheong Governor Kim Tae-heum and North Chungcheong Governor Kim Young-hwan on the 29th unveiled, in the morning and afternoon respectively, plans to build a 50,000-seat dome stadium. The neighboring local governments, which face each other to the east and west, released plans for dome stadiums of the same size on the same day, setting up a competitive dynamic.
Behind this is the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Minister Chae Hwi-young on the 16th set the long-term goal of building a 50,000-seat dome stadium during a presidential policy briefing. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism plans to launch a research project next year, investing 800 million won to study suitable sites and funding options. With this signal from the central government, observers say South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong moved quickly to vie for the project.
Both local governments are stressing their geographical advantage as the "heart of Korea." South Chungcheong is reviewing a site within a 10–20 minute walk from KTX Cheonan-Asan Station, while North Chungcheong is considering the area near KTX Osong Station. From Seoul Station, it takes about 40 minutes to Cheonan-Asan and 50 minutes to Osong. Departing from Yongsan Station shortens each by about 10 minutes.
The practical challenges, however, are substantial. Building a dome stadium is estimated to require around 1 trillion won. Securing content to operate the facility stably after completion is also critical. While local governments point to K-pop concerts and large events as solutions, the industry's prevailing view is that the core of a dome stadium's box office success is ultimately professional baseball.
That naturally brings up the Hanwha Eagles, based in Daejeon. The Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark, which the Hanwha Eagles use as their home stadium, sold out roughly 8 of every 10 home games this season. However, with 17,000 seats, it has the second-fewest seats after Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome (16,000), the country's only dome stadium, and calls to expand seating have been constant.
Currently, the only dome stadium in Korea is Gocheok Sky Dome, home of the Kiwoom Heroes. Gocheok Sky Dome hosts Kiwoom Heroes games and is also used as a venue for performances and other cultural events. In the United States and Japan, seven dome stadiums are in operation in each country.
South Chungcheong envisions hosting more than 30 professional baseball games a year at the dome stadium and attracting soccer and ice rink events as well. It plans to secure profitability by holding K-pop concerts, exhibitions, and corporate events 150–200 days a year. North Chungcheong is aiming to attract the 11th professional baseball club and is promoting the creation of a multipurpose cultural complex capable of hosting concerts and expos.
Still, many in baseball say launching a new club is not realistic. As a result, there is speculation that a dome stadium is more likely to be built in the local government that secures the Hanwha Eagles.
The Hanwha Eagles' drawing power is borne out by the numbers. Of the 73 Hanwha Eagles home games this season, 62 sold out, and Hanwha Eagles fans set the record for the longest consecutive home sellouts in Korean professional baseball.
However, the Hanwha Eagles' response has been cool. North Chungcheong wanted to hold about 5–10 games at Cheongju Stadium this year, but the Hanwha Eagles declined, citing the opening of the new stadium and the risk of player injuries. A Hanwha Eagles official said, "With uncertainty over when the dome stadium will be completed, it is difficult to discuss game allocations," and added, "For now, we have no separate position on the matter."