KBO asks gov't to ease COVID-19 protocols for fans at stadiums

▲ Fans attend a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game between the home team SSG Landers and the Samsung Lions at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, on June 1, 2021. (Yonhap)

▲ In this file photo from May 20, 2021, fans attend a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game between the home team LG Twins and the NC Dinos at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. (Yonhap)

▲ Chung Ji-taik, new commissioner of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), speaks at his inauguration ceremony at the KBO headquarters in Seoul on Jan. 5, 2021, in this photo provided by the KBO. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

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KBO asks gov't to ease COVID-19 protocols for fans at stadiums

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, June 3 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean baseball league said Thursday it has asked the government to ease COVID-19 protocols on fans at stadiums, pleading for help for struggling clubs and ballpark vendors during the pandemic.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said its commissioner, Chung Ji-taik, met with Sports Minister Hwang Hee on Wednesday and asked for the loosening of regulations across stadiums. Chung plans to do the same with the finance ministry and the Office for Government Policy Coordination.

Presently, fans aren't allowed to consume food or drinks in their seats and must do so in designated concessions areas in the concourse. No vocal cheering is permitted -- fans are only allowed to clap and hold up signs in support of their teams.

Eating ballpark food during games and singing along to players' walk-up songs are considered essential parts of the KBO fan experience. With those taken away, the KBO claimed that many fans no longer see the point of attending games, and that has driven down the overall interest level in the league.

Restrictions on eating and drinking have driven stadium vendors out of business, the KBO said. The league also argued that allowing fans to enjoy food and drinks in their seats will have therapeutic effects, helping them recover from COVID-19 fatigue while also representing a symbolic step toward normalcy.

The KBO also called for an increase in the size of crowds allowed at games.

In the greater Seoul area, which is under Level 2 social distancing, stadiums may only operate at 10 percent capacity. This applies to five of the 10 clubs: Doosan Bears, LG Twins and Kiwoom Heroes in Seoul, SSG Landers in Incheon and KT Wiz in Suwon.

Elsewhere in the league, teams can allow fans at 30 percent capacity. Those clubs are the Hanwha Eagles in Daejeon, Kia Tigers in Gwangju, Samsung Lions in Daegu, Lotte Giants in Busan and NC Dinos in Changwon.

The league stressed that there has not been a single COVID-19 case among fans at KBO games and attributed that to its infection prevention efforts and safe environments at stadiums.

Citing studies by experts in the United States and Korea, the KBO said outdoor facilities such as baseball stadiums are relatively safe even during the pandemic.

The KBO said all stadiums should be allowed to operate at 30 percent or higher capacity, and also pointed out that amusement parks are accepting crowds at larger capacities than ballparks even though both are outdoor venues.

With a substantial drop in gate receipts last year, the KBO estimated that the league-wide revenue from 2019 to 2020 dropped by 111 billion won (US$99.8 million). Things aren't looking much better, the KBO said.

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