“Mr. Kwan-young, cooperate? ‘Kyo’ Park as ‘Joe’ Jim?”
Jeonbuk Hyundai fans vented their frustration at being robbed of a safe house through no fault of their own.
Jeonbuk Hyundai defeated Incheon United 2-0 in the 25th round of the Hana OneQ K League 2023 at Jeonju World Cup Stadium at 7 p.m. on June 6.
With the win, Jeonbuk improved to 40 points and jumped to third place, ahead of FC Seoul (38 points) and Gwangju FC (37 points). It was also their ninth consecutive home win and 12th straight home win against Incheon (W8 D4 L4). Incheon, on the other hand, failed in its bid for a fourth straight win and remained in eighth place with 33 points.
Away from the scoreline, the game was marred by controversy over an unexpected free kick. About an hour before kickoff, Jeonbuk announced on the club’s social media, “The performance event and closing ceremony of the 2023 Saemangeum World Scouting Jamboree will be held at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on the 11th,” adding, “Therefore, the two home games scheduled for next week will be rescheduled. We apologize to our fans for any confusion caused by this sudden rescheduling. We will provide further details as soon as they are finalized.”
Saemangeum Jamboree sparks fly. Jeonbuk was set to play a two-game series at Jeonju World Cup Stadium. They were scheduled to play the first leg of their FA Cup quarterfinal against Incheon United on April 9, followed by a K League 1 match against Suwon Samsung on April 12.
However, the schedule was abruptly changed. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-gyun and Jeonbuk Province Governor Kim Kwan-young held a press conference at the Jamboree Press Center on the 6th, announcing, “The postponed Jamboree K-pop performance will be held on the 11th at Jeonju World Cup Stadium.” The concert was scheduled to be held at 8 p.m. that day at the Saemangeum Outdoor Special Stage, but was postponed due to heat waves and safety concerns.
“Jeonju World Cup Stadium has a capacity of 42,000 people, and 88% of the seats are covered,” Park said, explaining the reason for the change in schedule and venue, adding that the travel time from Saemangeum is about 50 minutes. “The Jeonbuk Hyundai Football Club was scheduled to play a home game around the K-pop concert, but we are grateful that they decided to move it to another venue,” said Governor Kim, adding, “We will mobilize all of our resources to make this the finale of the last K-pop concert.”
According to Jeonbuk officials, the club was informed at 2 p.m. today. As a matter of urgency, Jeonbuk is in contact with the KFA and the Korea Football Association to try to reschedule and change the venue. While nothing has been finalized yet, the club is reportedly considering playing the game at Gwangju World Cup Stadium or Daejeon World Cup Stadium if rescheduling is not possible.
For Jeonbuk, the unrelated Jamboree debacle was a bitter pill to swallow. Even if the team somehow manages to move the upcoming two games, the damage to the grass caused by the concert stage is inevitable.
Not only Jeonbuk, but also Incheon and Suwon, whose schedules were disrupted, are also victims. It is a difficult situation to understand that the K League, which is not at fault, has to suffer unilaterally due to the lack of work by the government and local governments.카지노사이트
Most of all, the fans who were waiting for the Jeonbuk-Incheon doubleheader with excitement are also in a quandary. Fans’ plans to attend both games, which were held three days apart during the holiday season, were ruined. They were forced to cancel their accommodation, transportation, and travel plans.
Jeonbuk fans at the stadium were also angry. Despite the heat wave and sudden downpour, the fans who filled the N seats protested strongly with signs that read, “Football to a dead jamboree,” “Cooperate with Mr. Kwan-young? ‘Joe’ Jim with ‘Gop’ Park?” and “Spoil the jamboree, spoil Jeonbuk”.
Before the game started, chants denouncing Governor Kim rang out. The angry signs remained in place after halftime, and even after the game, chants of “Kim Kwan-young, get out!” erupted. The controversy over the bizarre decision to sacrifice the beloved K League is unlikely to die down anytime soon.