Gimhae Sports Complex – stadium description

How was the Gimhae Sports Complex built?

The establishment of a new stadium in Gimhae is linked to the organization of the 105th National Sports Festival in 2024. It was announced on March 27, 2019 that the competition would be held in Gimhae (it was originally scheduled to be held in 2023, but later, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed by a year). The city council pledged to build a new stadium for the event, and once it was received, preparations for construction began.

Where was the Gimhae Sports Complex built?

The facility was decided to be built right next to the city's existing main stadium (Gimhae Stadium), which opened in 2004. After the new venue was built, the old stadium was to become an auxiliary facility, and conversion to a football-specific venue was also considered.

When was the Gimhae Sports Complex built?

The main contractor for the facility was selected in April 2020, and it became the Namyang Construction Consortium, consisting of Daejoo Construction, Jungang Construction, Seojin Industry, Ogyeong Construction and Eleccom. Preliminary work had already begun in June 2020, and the contract was signed on July 30, 2020.

Due to the postponement of the National Sports Festival by a year, the contractors were given four years to carry out the project. The value of the contract was 120.1 billion won, although at the end of construction the cost had risen to 184.4 billion won. The investment was financed largely from the municipal budget, but the national and provincial governments also contributed significantly to the project.

What name was given to the new stadium in Gimhae?

Gimhae Sports Complex was adopted as the working name for the new stadium. To determine the final name, the city council held a competition and accepted suggestions from residents from November 10-20, 2023. On December 26, 2023, the city announced that the name of the new stadium will officially become the one used so far, Gimhae Sports Complex.

When was the Gimhae Sports Complex inaugurated?

Construction, though not without minor problems, was completed as planned, in the summer of 2024. The first, test event at the new stadium was held on August 17-19, 2024, when the 45th edition of the school interprovincial athletics competition was held, which was combined with the 32nd national masters athletics championships.

The most anticipated event, the 105th National Sports Festival, of which the new stadium was the main venue, was held from October 11-17, 2024. This competition was followed by the 44th National Paralympic Games, which were held from October 25-30, 2024.

What does the Gimhae Sports Complex look like?

The stadium is equipped with an athletics track and has received a Class 1 certificate from World Athletics, which means it is suitable for hosting major athletics competitions. The running track is surrounded by the stands with a capacity of 15,066 spectators, including 249 VIP seats, 170 seats for the disabled and their companions, and 90 seats for the press.

Along the pitch, the stands are higher by a second tier, which is covered by a roof. A video screen measuring 23 × 10 meters has been placed on the southern curve, and a cauldron stands on the northern curve. Among other things, the facility is equipped with floodlights, a high-end sound system, and photovoltaic panels that have been placed on the roof.

The two sections of the roof, as well as the cauldron on the northern curve, symbolically refer in their form to the motif of two fish, found on the gate of King Suro's tomb, which is located in Gimhae.

An integral part of the venue is a building adjacent to the main (west) stand, which houses the city's art museum, named after Kim Young Won (the museum is scheduled to fully open only in 2026). The upper floors of this building are occupied by parking lots; in the future it is possible to develop this space for commercial purposes.

There is a plaza in front of the museum building. Since the stadium stood on a heavily hilly terrain, there is a big difference in height between the main plaza in front of the stadium and the pitch, which is located at a much higher level. As a result, a high staircase leads from the square up to the stands.