South Chungcheong Province and North Chungcheong Province are both pushing to build a "domed stadium," jumping into a race to secure large-scale cultural and sports infrastructure. But given the heavy financing burden and questions over post-construction use, analysts say the key to the domed stadium's success will ultimately be how many professional baseball games—especially home games of the Hanwha Eagles, which are based in the Chungcheong region—it can attract.
According to government offices on the 30th, South Chungcheong Gov. Kim Tae-heum and North Chungcheong Gov. Kim Young-hwan on the 29th unveiled plans in the morning and afternoon, respectively, to build a domed stadium with 50,000 seats. The neighboring local governments to the east and west released plans for domed stadiums of the same size on the same day, setting up a competitive landscape.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is in the background. Minister Chae Hwi-young set a 50,000-seat domed stadium as a long-term goal during a presidential policy briefing on the 16th. 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, the view is that South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong quickly jumped into the bidding race.
Both local governments are emphasizing their geographic advantage as "the heart of the Republic of Korea." South Chungcheong is reviewing a site a 10–20 minute walk from KTX Cheonan-Asan Station, while North Chungcheong is considering an 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 trip by about 10 minutes.
The practical challenges, however, are significant. Building a domed stadium is estimated to require around 1 trillion won. Securing content to operate the facility stably after completion is also crucial. While local governments point to K-pop concerts and large-scale events as solutions, the dominant view in the industry is that the core driver of a domed stadium's success is ultimately professional baseball games.
That naturally brings up the Hanwha Eagles, which are based in Daejeon. Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon, the Hanwha Eagles' home stadium, sold out roughly eight of every 10 home games this season. However, with 17,000 seats, it has the second-fewest seats after Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul (16,000), the country's only domed stadium, and there have been persistent calls to expand seating.
Currently, Gocheok Sky Dome, the Kiwoom Heroes' home stadium, is the only domed stadium in Korea. Along with Kiwoom Heroes games, Gocheok Sky Dome is used as a venue for concerts and other cultural events. The United States and Japan each operate seven domed stadiums.
South Chungcheong envisions hosting more than 30 professional baseball games a year at the domed stadium and attracting soccer and ice rink events as well. It also plans to secure revenue by hosting K-pop concerts, exhibitions, and corporations' events 150–200 days a year. North Chungcheong is aiming to attract an 11th professional baseball club while promoting a complex cultural space capable of concerts and expositions.
However, many in baseball say launching a new club is not realistic. As a result, there is speculation that a domed 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 home games this season, 62 sold out, and Hanwha Eagles fans also set the all-time record in Korean professional baseball for the longest consecutive home sellouts.
The Hanwha Eagles' response, however, has been cool. North Chungcheong wanted to hold about five to 10 games this year at Cheongju Stadium, but the Hanwha Eagles declined, citing the opening of the new stadium and the risk of player injury. A Hanwha Eagles official said, "With uncertainty over when the domed stadium will be completed, it is difficult to discuss game allocation," adding, "For now, we have no separate position on the matter."