Soccer fans oppose Seoul stadium's K-pop acts

From Madison Square Garden in New York to Wembley Stadium in London, the biggest sports arenas and stadiums in major cities often double as concert venues.

But holding concerts at the Seoul World Cup Stadium is being challenged by some soccer fans complaining that nonsports events there have crucial detrimental effects on the field.

A self-proclaimed fan of soccer player Son Heung-min on Sept 11 posted a petition on the state-run e-People website, calling for the cancellation of K-pop superstar IU's concert slated for Sept 21-22 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

The petitioner claimed that the large crowd expected for the concert — which sold out 100,000 tickets within minutes — will damage the grass of the stadium that will be used for the qualifying matches of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.

After playing Palestine on its home field on Sept 5, South Korea will host the rest of its Group B opponents in the qualifiers slated until next year. But there have been multiple complaints from players, fans and even opposing teams about the poor conditions of the grass.

"A third-round qualifying match between South Korea and Iraq is slated in Sangam (also known as the Seoul World Cup Stadium) on Oct 15, and (the authorities) should try their best to manage the grass there for the remainder of (the World Cup qualifiers) period," the petitioner wrote.

The person cited the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Installation and Operation of Metropolitan Sports Facilities, which in Article 5-3 states that the mayor may bar or even cancel the use of a sports facility if an event is deemed as possibly causing a hindrance to the management of the facility in question.