Mokpo Stadium – stadium description

How was Mokpo Stadium built?

On April 25, 2018, South Jeolla Province was awarded the right to host the 2022 National Sports Festival. In November 2018, a preliminary plan was announced to build a new stadium in Mokpo to be the main arena for the event. In 2019, the architectural concept and the main contractor, Namyang Construction, were selected.

The site for the stadium was selected in Daeyang, in the northern part of Mokpo, right next to the Mokpo International Football Center, which opened in 2009. The initial projected construction cost was 92 billion won. 20 billion was to come from state funds, 23 billion from the provincial government and 49 billion was to be provided by the city.

The city intended to raise the funds needed for construction through the sale of Yudal Stadium, which was located more than 3 km south of where the new facility was to be built. The sale took place on April 1, 2021, the same year the old stadium was demolished.

Meanwhile, in July 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Sports Festival due to take place that year was canceled, postponing all editions by a year, which meant that Mokpo would host the competition in 2023, 15 years since the last edition was held in the city.

How did the construction of Mokpo Stadium progress?

Construction of the new stadium began in December 2019, with a large section of the forest having to be cleared and the ground leveled before the actual construction could begin. Construction of the stands did not start until November 2021, with work continuing until August 2023. The cost of the project at the end rose to 114.8 billion won.

When was Mokpo Stadium opened?

The inauguration ceremony for the new stadium took place on September 6, 2023. The main event for which the stadium was built, the 104th National Sports Festival, took place from October 13 to 19, 2023. This event was also followed by the 43rd National Sports Festival for Persons with Disabilities from November 3 to 8, 2023, of which the new Mokpo Stadium was also the main venue.

What are the characteristics of Mokpo Stadium?

The new Mokpo Stadium can accommodate 16,468 spectators. The facility has a multi-purpose layout and is equipped with a nine-lane athletics track and a natural turf pitch. The stands surrounding the running track have along the straights and on parts of the curves two tiers, as well as a canopy covering the upper rows.

The north curve lacks a second tier of stands and the gap created was used for the placement of the cauldron. On the south side there is a wide entrance to the stadium, above which rises a glass pavilion and a large video screen. The stadium seats are in shades of blue and form a mosaic, with a predominance of darker seats at the bottom and light ones at the top. The main stand with boxes is located to the west.

Outside the perimeter of the stands, behind the corners, are four floodlighting masts. A wide square stretches in front of the entrance on the south side. Around the stadium, approx. 800 parking spaces have been created, as well as an athletics training track. The facility was built right next to the Mokpo International Football Centre complex – part of which is the football stadium where Mokpo FC players play on a daily basis.

Why was Mokpo Stadium built?

After the main event (the National Sports Festival), which was the impetus for the stadium, the city was left with a modern, multi-purpose facility. The stadium can serve the local community and be the arena for many more major sporting and cultural events. It is also possible that, if there is a strong interest in Mokpo FC's matches, the club will take advantage of the opportunity to play at a much larger facility that has been built right next to its nominal stadium.