K League bans matches at Pohang stadium over safety concerns

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- The top national football league announced Friday it has banned matches at a stadium in the southeastern city of Pohang until further notice due to safety concerns.

The Korea Professional Football League (K League) said Pohang Steelers will not be allowed to play their two remaining K League 1 home matches for August at Pohang Steel Yard in Pohang, some 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul, while safety checks are carried out at the venue.

Those two matches are against Bucheon 1995 on Aug. 22 and against Gangwon FC on Aug. 30.

The decision was reached in response to an incident during a league match last Saturday at the 36-year-old stadium, where a piece of concrete fell from the ceiling and injured a fan.

According to Steelers, the fan suffered a minor hand injury and watched the rest of the match from another area of the stadium, instead of going to a local hospital for a further checkup.

The K League said it had asked Pohang Steelers to seek an alternate home for their next two home matches. After failing to do so, Steelers agreed to let Bucheon and Gangwon host those games, respectively.

The league office added that Pohang Steel Yard will not be allowed to host any match until safety is fully ensured following an extensive inspection.

The K League said it will run safety checks at other stadiums and take all the necessary measures to provide a safe environment for spectators, players and match officials.

On Thursday, Steelers announced they will not host the round of 16 match against Jinju Citizen FC at the Korea Cup tournament next Wednesday for safety reasons.