In October, the national soccer team’s A match against Iraq was held at Yongin Mir Stadium instead of the Seoul World Cup Stadium, where the grass condition was controversial, and it was confirmed that the World Cup Stadium, which earned 8.2 billion won this year from games and concerts, invested only 250 million won in grass management.
Before and after the IU concert, soccer fans and singer fans were in conflict over grass management, and some point out that management should be strengthened as the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Iraq will not be held in Sangam on the 15th of next month.
According to the data released by Rep. Wi Sung-gon of the Democratic Party of Korea (Jeju Seogwipo City) from the Seoul Metropolitan Facilities Corporation on the 25th, the total amount of money the corporation spent on managing the grass at the Seoul World Cup Stadium by the end of August this year is 253.27 million won.
153.46 million won for newly planted grass, 9.4 million won for artificial mats for lawn protection, 51.40 million won for pesticides and fertilizers, 6.92 million won for overseeding grass, and 8.86 million won for lawn waste disposal services.
The proportion of the Seoul World Cup Stadium is quite small compared to the total revenue of 8.25 billion won from January to August this year due to the rental of soccer games, celebrity concerts, and parking fees.
The Seoul World Cup Stadium earned 994.26 million won for national A-match games, 1,138.32 million won for FC Seoul games, 2.43447 million won for cultural events such as concerts, and 3.63846 million won for general events.
The rental income for major cultural events was 1.43 billion won for Lim Young-woong’s concert and 977.58 million won for SEVENTEEN. The amount does not include IU’s concert held from Sept. 21 to Sept. 22. The IU concert rental income is expected to earn at least 1 billion won.
World Cup stadiums receive 8 percent admission fees for soccer matches, concerts and public events in addition to daily usage fees. For general events, admission fees are 15 percent.
This year, amid the “all-time” heatwave that broke the record every day, Lim Young-woong, Seventeen, and IU concerts overlapped, sparking controversy over lawn damage. 안전놀이터
Before and after the IU concert, soccer fans criticized that the lawn was damaged by setting up a stage and laying chairs on the lawn, and singer fans responded that they should not hand over the responsibility to the singer as much as they paid for it, creating a rare situation in which they were in conflict.
As critics pointed out that the grass problem at the World Cup Stadium is serious, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said it will allow the renting of cultural events such as concerts starting next year under the condition that “the sale of ground seats is excluded,” adding that it will also strengthen grass management after IU’s concert. However, the Korea Football Association has decided to play the match against Iraq on October 15 at the Mir Stadium in Yongin, instead of the Seoul World Cup Stadium. After checking the conditions of the World Cup Stadium, even if the grass is repaired, it is difficult to play the match on October 15, considering the growing conditions
Lawmaker Wi Sung-gon said, “The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the exclusion of ground seat sales ahead of the IU concert, fueling the conflict by making it seem as if the singer was responsible for damaging the grass,” adding, “As there were problems with the Jamboree concert last year, we need to come up with fundamental measures.”