A 30,000-seat state-of-the-art dome stadium will be built in Jamsil, the ‘Mecca of Korean baseball’.
The city of Seoul announced on the 18th that it will build a world-class ‘sports and MICE complex’ including a dome ballpark in Jamsil, as well as a waterfront eco-cultural space connected to the Han River.
Currently, the city has finalized the layout plan for the Jamsil Dome Stadium complex after consultation and review with stakeholders, and is in the process of refining the design for each facility.
On the 16th local time, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is on a business trip to North America, visited Rogers Centre, the home stadium of the Major League Baseball Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Canada, and announced that he will create a state-of-the-art sports and convention facility including a dome ballpark in the Jamsil area. The city explained, “The microphone function, which has been limited to COEX so far, will be expanded and is expected to change the industrial and cultural consumption terrain of the Gangnam area, including Jamsil.”
Referring to the Toronto Waterfront development project he visited, Mayor Oh added that he plans to develop the Han River and Tancheon area around Jamsil into an attractive waterfront ecological and leisure cultural space.
The Rogers Centre, which Mayor Oh visited, is a 41,000-seat dome stadium that is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball, including Korean major leaguer Ryu Hyun-jin. It is also known for its connection to the Toronto Marriott City Center Hotel, where guests can watch games from their rooms.
Rogers Centre is currently undergoing a major facility improvement project, including the expansion of premium seats to reflect various demands, and the Marriott City Center Hotel is mainly used by baseball fans during the season and convention center visitors during the off-season. Accommodation costs fluctuate depending on the game schedule, ranging from about $300 to $2000 (about 40 to 250 million won).
The city of Seoul is currently finalizing the construction of the dome ballpark with ‘Seoul Smart Myspark’ (tentative name – Hanwha, a major company), which is the preferred bidder for the Jamsil Stadium-Myspace complex project, and is planning the largest baseball stadium in Korea with more than 30,000 seats that can attract international games.스포츠토토
The dome is expected to be able to operate stably without being affected by adverse weather conditions such as rain and heat, and it is also expected to be able to hold large-scale performances and events during the All-Star Break and offseason.
A 360-degree open concourse (a corridor space connected to the spectator seats) that circulates through the infield and outfield will be introduced, as well as various premium seats (skyboxes, field boxes, family zones, etc.) reflecting the latest trends, and a hotel will be built in conjunction with the ballpark to provide a unique experience in various spaces within the hotel, such as rooms, restaurants, and fitness.
Seoul is currently conducting comprehensive negotiations with the preferred bidder to create a complex facility with both public and business properties, including a dome baseball stadium, exhibition and convention center, and business, commercial, and accommodation facilities, and plans to conclude negotiations as soon as possible and proceed with the goal of signing an implementation agreement at the end of 2024 after consulting with related agencies such as the Ministry of Trade.
After the end of the 2025 season, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to start demolishing Jamsil Baseball Stadium in the first half of 2026 and complete the construction of the dome ballpark by the end of 2031. The scale of the project is expected to be around 500 billion won, and it is not expected to be funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and club budgets as it is a private investment method. Therefore, the LG Twins and Doosan Bears, who use Jamsil Baseball Stadium as their home ballpark, will need to find a new home for the 2026-2031 seasons, and are currently considering Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome, Mokdong Baseball Stadium, Incheon SSG Landers Field, and Suwon KT Wiz Park.
Currently, the only domed stadium in Korea is the Gocheok Sky Dome, which is home to the Kiwoom Heroes. It has a maximum capacity of 16,000 seats. During the All-Star break and offseason, various events such as concerts are held there. Although it’s not the largest, it has the advantage of being able to host games and events regardless of the weather. It will be interesting to see if the largest dome in Korea will be able to host KBO games in the 2032 season.