Pohang: An upcoming national football tournament match has been moved out of a 36-year-old stadium in the southeastern city of Pohang due to safety concerns, officials said Thursday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Pohang Steelers of the K League 1 announced that their home stadium, Pohang Steel Yard, will undergo "comprehensive safety inspections" in the coming days. As a result, the venue will not host the round of 16 match against Jinju Citizen FC at the Korea Cup tournament next Wednesday.
The decision follows an incident during a K League 1 match last Saturday at the stadium, where a piece of concrete fell from the ceiling and injured a fan. The club reported that the fan sustained a minor hand injury but chose to watch the remainder of the match from another area of the stadium, rather than seeking medical attention at a local hospital.
"We would like to apologize for the inconvenience and concern caused by this incident," Pohang Steelers stated. "In order to ensure the safety of our fans, we will implement all the necessary steps following the safety inspections and continue to strengthen our stadium management."
The club further mentioned that the new venue for next week's Korea Cup match and for upcoming K League 1 matches will be decided after consultations with relevant authorities. The stadium in question, which opened in 1990, had been undergoing safety checks on the concrete ceilings throughout the stadium for the past few days when the incident took place.