Dongdaemun Stadium(Korean:동대문운동장) was asports complexinSeoul,South Korea and included amulti-purpose stadium,abaseball parkand other sports facilities. It was located nearDongdaemunor Great East Gate. The surrounding Dongdaemun market had many vendors selling athletics-related goods. It was demolished in 2008 to make way for theDongdaemun Design Plaza & Park.
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| Former names | Gyeongseong Stadium Seoul Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Euljiro 7(chil)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea |
| Coordinates | 37°34′03″N127°00′38″E/ 37.56758°N 127.010595°E |
| Capacity | 22,706 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 24 May 1925 |
| Opened | 15 October 1925[1] |
| Expanded | 1962, 1966, 1968 |
| Closed | 2003 |
| Demolished | 2008 |
| Tenants | |
| Ilhwa Chunma(1989–1995) LG Cheetahs(1990–1995) Yukong Elephants(1991–1995) | |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 동대문운동장 |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Dongdaemun undongjang |
| McCune–Reischauer | Tongdaemun undongjang |
History
editConstruction on the main athletics stadium and baseball field began on 24 May 1925 and was opened for use on 15 October 1925 asKeijōStadium.The venue was the main center for sports events in the city, and along withKirim StadiuminPyongyang,it was one of the two venues used in the Gyeongsung-Pyongyang inter-citysoccertournament in the 1930s.
The stadium was the location for mass celebrations of the end of Japanese colonial rule, as almost 250,000 citizens gathered at the venue on 15 August 1945, to celebrate the liberation of the peninsula.[2]
Additional construction was undertaken in 1962 to modernize the two existing venues as well as to create a swimming pool, volleyball courts and soft clay tennis courts. Floodlights were added to the baseball venue in 1966 and to the athletics venue in 1968 to allow for nighttime sporting events.
Before its demolition, the athletics stadium was used as a flea market where all types of new and second-hand goods were sold. It formed part of the massive Dongdaemun shopping district, which had been active for 57 years.
Facilities
editFootball
editThe mainmulti-purpose stadiumremained the main center for sports events in Seoul until theSeoul Sports Complexwas built for the1988 Olympic Games.It was the home venue for theSouth Korea national football teamfrom the 1950s to the late 1980s, though it continued to be used into the 1990s until the last international match was played there, againstMyanmarin 2000.
The 30,000-seat main stadium also hosted somefootballmatches including the quarter-finals at the1988 Summer Olympicsand many matches of theKorea Cup,an international football competition.[3]
The inaugural match of theK League,the first professional football league in South Korea, was held at the athletics venue on 8 May 1983.Ilhwa Chunma(currentlySeongnam FC),LG Cheetahs(currentlyFC Seoul), andYukong Elephants(currentlyJeju United FC) were based at the stadium until 1995, but with thedecentralization policy in K League,they relocated away to their current stadiums in 1996.
Others
editThe inaugural match of theKorean baseball leaguewas held atDongdaemun Baseball Stadiumin 1982.[citation needed]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^경성운동장 사용규정(in Korean).The Dong-A Ilbo.17 October 1925.
- ^"Daum encyclopedia entry on Dongdaemun stadium".Archived fromthe originalon 30 June 2007.Retrieved22 July2007.
- ^1988 Summer Olympics official report.Volume 1. Part 1. pp. 202-3.
References
edit- Stadium of dreams in K-League: 동대문 운동장(in Korean)