On the 29th of last month, a female fan in her 20s, who was receiving treatment for a head injury sustained in the accident at Changwon NC Park, has ultimately died, prompting some fans to protest with a truck demonstration. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), along with major stadiums in Jamsil, Suwon, Daejeon, and Gwangju, is voluntarily conducting truck demonstrations targeting Changwon City Hall and Changwon Facilities Corporation.

The female fans from all 10 teams in the KBO League noted in a press release on the 2nd that “on March 29th, there was a fatal accident involving a spectator due to the collapse of exterior structures at Changwon NC Park. At the time of the accident, league officials, including the KBO commissioner, were present; however, the KBO proceeded with the game normally without any announcements or suspension, claiming the accident occurred outside the stadium.”

They continued, “Afterward, the KBO operated the midweek games in a ‘no cheering’ format without any separate apology, and there was no official stance or explanation for fans regarding the accident. Fans criticized these actions as a decision that prioritized revenue and schedule over sincerity, claiming it demonstrated a neglect of responsibility as the league's operating body.”

In response, the female fans from all 10 teams stated, “The city of Changwon’s evasion of responsibility has also been pointed out as a problem. Although the local government installed the exterior structures, they excluded it from regular safety inspections and have consistently stated that they bear no responsibility following the accident.”

They demanded, “The KBO must thoroughly investigate the circumstances of this accident, clarify accountability, and officially apologize to the victims, their families, and the fans.” Additionally, they stated, “The city of Changwon must not evade responsibility and must conduct a comprehensive safety inspection of Changwon NC Park, taking practical measures to prevent recurrence.” Furthermore, they indicated, “The KBO should immediately create integrated safety manuals and management regulations applicable to all stadiums in the league and implement them in consultation with the teams.”

They emphasized, “This statement is not a one-time protest, and we will respond strongly to any attempts to downplay or conceal the accident in the future,” adding, “The lives and safety of spectators must take precedence over profits. There are no fans in a league without responsibility.”

Meanwhile, the Changwon Facilities Corporation announced in a press release on the 1st that “immediately after the accident, a task force was formed, and at 6:15 p.m. that day, a field response meeting was held at the office of the Masan Baseball Center, presided over by the head of the task force (acting chairman) with the attendance of department heads related to safety to discuss future measures.”

They added, “Meetings to discuss related countermeasures were also held on the 30th and 31st, including efforts to determine the cause of the accident and to devise plans for recovery and prevention of recurrence.”

The corporation explained, “According to the use and revenue approval contract, the regular maintenance and management operations of Changwon NC Park are handled by NC, except that the corporation is responsible for any major structural repairs.”

Additionally, they added, “The corporation has stated that all the necessary safety inspections of major structures legally conducted have been fulfilled, and no anomalies have been detected. In particular, the detached objects that fell are not included in the inspection targets.”

According to the corporation, they have requested NC to urgently confirm and check whether there is any damage to similar signs, windows, or other attached objects in the area where the accident occurred and to notify them of the results.

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