Pohang: "Reinforce before next home game; if insufficient, close the area"... Emergency measures taken after ceiling collapse at Steel Yard

*This content was translated by AI.

K League 1's Pohang Steelers have launched an emergency inspection and reinforcement operation following a concrete ceiling collapse at Pohang Steel Yard that injured spectators. The club plans to complete safety measures as much as possible before the next home game; if reinforcements are not fully completed, it intends to hold the match with the affected area closed off.

A club official told StarNews on the 10th, "We are urgently inspecting the area where the accident occurred. Work related to this is ongoing today," and added, "We will do our best to carry out repair and reinforcement work before the next home game."

Earlier, during the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 Round 22 match between Pohang and Ulsan HD held at Pohang Steel Yard on the 8th, part of the concrete ceiling above the visiting team's table seating fell.

As a result of the incident, one spectator seated in the stands suffered a scrape on the back of their hand. While it did not lead to serious injury, news that some stadium facilities had fallen during a professional soccer match has heightened fans' concerns.

Pohang will travel to Gwangju FC for an away match on the 15th and then host Jinju Citizen Football Club in a Korea Cup home game at Pohang Steel Yard on the 19th.

A club official explained, "We will do our best to carry out reinforcement work before the upcoming home game. If we determine that sufficient work has not been completed by then, we plan to proceed with the home match while keeping the affected area closed."

Pohang Steel Yard is a soccer-specific stadium completed in 1990. According to club officials, both Pohang and POSCO were already aware of the aging issues at the stadium and had been sequentially conducting safety inspections and repair/reinforcement work across all areas of Steel Yard.

A club official stated, "Unfortunately, a concrete falling incident occurred during our sequential safety inspection and repair/reinforcement process covering the entire stadium. After the accident, POSCO also treated the matter with urgency."

The official added, "Previously, we were carrying out work sequentially by area according to plan, but given the accident, we have changed the plan to prioritize inspection and repair/reinforcement at the specific location where the incident occurred."

Follow-up measures for the injured spectator are also underway. At the time of the accident, Pohang's medical staff immediately checked the condition of the injured spectator on-site. It was confirmed that the person had a scrape on the back of their hand, and the club conveyed its intention to transport them to a hospital immediately if they wished.

However, the injured spectator expressed their intention to continue watching the match without moving to a hospital. The club proposed that they move to another seat away from the area where the accident occurred.

Since both the visiting stands and the neutral "All Fans Zone" were completely sold out at the time, the club suggested relocating the spectator to the home stands. However, the injured spectator did not wish to change seats and instead stood in an area away from the incident site to watch the remainder of the match.

A club official stated, "Currently, a designated staff member is continuing communication with the injured spectator regarding hospital treatment and compensation matters."

The Korea Professional Football League has also launched an emergency safety inspection across all K League clubs in connection with this incident. The league stated today, "We are investigating the circumstances of the concrete falling incident at Pohang Steel Yard's spectator seating and checking the condition of the facilities. We will conduct an emergency safety inspection of stadium facilities for all K League clubs."

The league sent official documents to all clubs this morning requesting safety inspections of stadium facilities. Each club is scheduled to complete its inspection before hosting its next home game.

The league emphasized, "Through this emergency inspection, we will check for any abnormalities in facilities that could affect spectator safety within stadiums and, if necessary, request immediate repairs and safety measures."

Pohang will prioritize repair and reinforcement of the affected area while continuing support for the injured spectator, and is committed to ensuring spectator safety before the next home game.

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*This content was translated by AI.