First Anniversary of Changwon NC Park Fatal Accident ... City to Hold Memorial Ceremony

Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam will hold a memorial ceremony in connection with the fatal accident that occurred last year when a structure fell at Changwon NC Park.

The city government and the Changwon Facilities Corporation, a city-affiliated agency, announced at the Press Center on the 17th, "We will hold a memorial ceremony to express condolences for the victims and offer comfort to the bereaved families on the first anniversary of the accident."

Changwon Special City Hall, Gyeongnam. Photo by Se-ryeong Lee

The memorial ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. on March 29, the first anniversary of the accident, at the area surrounding the Harmony Tower (near the baseball monument) at Changwon NC Park.

The memorial space will remain open until 5:30 p.m. after the ceremony, allowing any citizen to participate in commemorative activities such as laying flowers and silent tribute.

From March 23 to 31, memorial banners will be hung at City Hall and NC Park, and an online memorial space will be operated on the city's official social media channels.

Separately from the city, the NC Dinos plan to hold a moment of silence prior to the game on March 29 to mark the first anniversary of the accident and to set up a memorial space inside the stadium.

Kim Manki, Director of Culture, Tourism and Sports, said, "All preparations will be carried out with the utmost respect for the wishes of the bereaved families," adding, "We will ensure that this becomes a meaningful time to remember the deceased and share the grief of the bereaved families."

He added, "We will take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to establishing a robust safety management system for public facilities," and continued, "We will thoroughly inspect and improve safety management and oversight systems for all public facilities, including the baseball stadium, to create a safe environment where citizens can live with peace of mind."

A louver attached to the outer wall near the concession stand on the third base side of Changwon NC Park has fallen off. Photo by Se-Ryung Lee

Previously, at approximately 5:20 p.m. on March 29, 2025, during a professional baseball game, a structure installed on the outer wall near the concession stand on the third base side at NC Park fell from a height of 17.5 meters.

As a result of this accident, three women standing in line in front of the concession stand were injured, and among them, a woman in her 20s, referred to as Ms. A, sustained serious injuries to her head and other areas and died two days later while receiving treatment at the hospital.

The fallen structure was identified as a "louver," an aluminum exterior finishing material measuring 2.6 meters in length, 40 centimeters in width, and weighing approximately 33.94 kilograms.

The accident investigation committee, which was formed afterward, announced its findings on February 12, 2026—11 months after the accident—stating, "The accident was caused by a combination of a structural defect in the fastening part at the top of the louver and insufficient management throughout all stages, including design, ordering, construction, and maintenance."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.