It was an incomprehensible decision by the KBO umpires. While the rain intensified, they waited for over an hour and attempted to proceed with the game. They called the players to the field and sent them back again. There has never been a farce like this.

The game between the Lotte Giants and the NC Dinos held at Busan's Sajik Stadium on the 12th ended with Lotte's 2-0 victory by rainout. The game was halted during the top of the eighth inning with one out and one runner on first base, and after waiting for 71 minutes, a rainout was declared.

However, the process of declaring the rainout was, quite literally, incomprehensible and a series of farces. Light rain had begun to fall before the game even started, and it did not stop at all. Nonetheless, it would have been permissible to continue the game until the fifth inning, when a regulation game is considered complete. Both teams had already declared play ball, and given that the starting pitchers were on the mound, they wanted to have the game counted as a regulation game. However, as the fifth inning came to a close with Lotte leading 2-0, the regulation game was completed. This was a decision that the umpire crew needed to make. As they crossed into the sixth inning and passed 7 p.m., the rain began to fall heavier. Yet, the umpires continued to play on. With only a 2-point difference in a close game, the timing of the game's suspension became a dilemma.

In the top of the seventh inning, Lotte missed a two-out, bases-loaded opportunity created by three walks, leading to a strange flow. In the bottom of the seventh, NC did not score, but in the following top of the eighth, Lotte's Jang Du-seong created momentum by stopping a stolen base attempt. Although they faced a hit from Jeong Bo-geun afterward, there was still a chance for NC to generate a strange atmosphere toward the end of the game.

However, at this point, the umpires suspended the game. It was the top of the eighth inning with one out and one runner on first base, at 7:37 p.m. NC's manager Lee Ho-jun briefly came out to protest the stoppage. They only covered the pitcher's mound and home plate area with tarps. After waiting for 30 minutes, they waited another 30 minutes.

By 8:30 p.m., the umpire crew came out again to check the condition of the field. The rain was heavier than at the time of the suspension and continued to pour. However, the umpires directed them to remove the tarps. Both the NC and Lotte players came out and began to warm up again. The chilly weather due to the rain had already made their bodies stiff.

Following this, the ground maintenance crew prepared to continue the game by removing the tarps and adding extra dirt to the areas where water had pooled in the infield, per the umpire's instructions. Lotte's manager Kim Tae-hyung spoke with the umpires about the pooled water in the infield. At this time, NC's fifth pitcher, Kim Min-kyu, had warmed up and was ready to pitch.

However, the umpire crew ordered the players to withdraw again. The players looked puzzled as they heard the umpires' instructions and returned to the dugout. The tarps were spread out again. It was after 8:40 p.m. Ultimately, shortly after, at 8:48 p.m., following a 71-minute suspension, a rainout was declared. There has never been a farce like this. The rain forecast had already been issued until dawn, and citizens near Sajik Stadium received a safety text message stating, "Strong winds accompanied by rain are expected until dawn. Please remain safe."

If the decision to suspend was difficult due to the close game, then they should have proceeded without a suspension. While it's unclear what occurred during the 71 minutes, if there hadn’t been a suspension, the game could have already concluded. In the concurrently held Daejeon Kiwoom-Hanwha game, it also rained significantly, and the away team Kiwoom was leading home team Hanwha 6-2 by a four-point margin, making it a close match as well. This game was completed through the ninth inning. Alternatively, they should have quickly made a decision upon verifying the rain forecast at the point when a regulation game was confirmed.

The umpire crew was wishy-washy and ended up garnering complaints from both teams. Lotte had their own grievances, and NC naturally had its own frustrations regarding the umpires' decisions. If they had attempted to continue the game but ended up causing injuries to players on the slick field or accidents in the stands that had become slippery due to the rain, would the umpire crew have accepted responsibility? Have they already forgotten why NC's home game is being held at Sajik Stadium instead of Changwon NC Park? Ultimately, it was impossible to find any meaning in waiting 71 minutes.

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