The soccer world has been forced to accept the decision without being able to protest.
The aftermath of the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree’s mismanagement has reached the football world. It started when the government and the jamboree organizers announced that the K-pop concert and closing ceremony, which were scheduled to take place at the campsite for 11 days, would be held at Jeonju World Cup Stadium.
Jeonju World Cup Stadium is the home of Jeonbuk Hyundai. Jeonbuk was scheduled to play the quarterfinals of the FA Cup (governed by the Korea Football Association) against Incheon United on the 9th and the 26th round of the K League 1 against Suwon Samsung on the 12th at the same venue.
Considering the time required to set up and dismantle the concert stage, the postponement of the game was inevitable. In addition to the damage to the ground, the hot and humid climate makes it difficult to manage the grass, so the postponement of the game will have a negative impact on not only Jeonbuk, but also Incheon and Suwon.
While Jeonbuk is a corporate club, its parent company, Hyundai Motor Group, has been actively cooperating with the Jamboree emergency by providing supplies and tours of its factories, making it difficult for the club to take an official stance on stadium rental.
The Korean Football Association and professional leagues are used to postponements due to bad weather, but this is the first time they have had to reschedule a tournament due to an external event.
While the KFA is the organization that runs the tournament, it only reads the rules and says that all decisions are made by Jeonbuk and then approved. The goal is to delegate all rights to the host club until the quarterfinals.
“It was not an easy decision because it was an unprecedented situation. We informed Jeonbuk and Incheon of the postponement in a letter around noon on the 7th,” he said, circumventing the reality that the national event can only be accessed from unencumbered resources.
Of course, due to the effects of Typhoon Kanun, the K-pop concert and closing ceremony were organized in Seoul, not at Jeonju World Cup Stadium. However, the decision to postpone the game had already been made, so Incheon also lost money by paying a penalty for canceling their accommodation, which put an end to their plans to stay and play in Jeonju.
“In the morning, we received a letter from Jeonbuk about holding a neutral match at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium. Then, around noon, the FA Cup schedule was postponed by the Korean Football Association,” he said. “Since it was from the highest level of the competition, we accepted it and informed them of our withdrawal. Then, the news of the change to Seoul came. Both the players and the club staff panicked.”
Moreover, the FA Cup rules stipulate that if the home team is unable to host a match, it must be played at the away team’s home stadium, so Incheon had a say in the matter, but it was even more frustrating that the Football Association only announced the change of schedule without any discussion. The players had already returned to their homes after returning to Incheon.
It would be surprising if the KFA asked them to play again on the 9th. Not only does Jeonbuk have to consider entering Incheon, but they also have to go through the hassle of refunding old tickets and selling new ones. “At this point, the official letter from the KFA is the final decision,” said a Jeonbuk official.카지노
Suwon, which has a large number of fans, is similar. After the postponement announcement, they had to go through a hassle-free process of canceling accommodation, but for now, the event is still on.