Busan pushes back on reports of 'two-track' pro baseball plan for Sajik, North Port

The Busan city government has pushed back against media reports that it was seriously considering a "two-track" approach to professional baseball — reconstructing Sajik Baseball Stadium while also building a new dome stadium at North Port — saying no such plan has been finalized.

A media outlet reported Thursday that Busan was actively weighing a plan to proceed with the Sajik reconstruction as scheduled while building a new dome stadium at North Port focused on performances, exhibitions and commercial facilities, with pro baseball games split between the two venues.

In a clarification statement released Friday, the city said "the specific operational plans mentioned in the article, including splitting pro baseball games across venues, are not currently under review." It added that the dome arena's functions and operations would be determined by weighing various factors rather than presupposing any specific use model.

The city said it is comprehensively reviewing various alternatives through consultations with relevant agencies as it works to develop North Port into a new growth hub for Busan and build a world-class multipurpose dome arena combining sports and entertainment. On its application to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's call for proposals for a sports-and-entertainment multipurpose dome stadium, the city said the move "was not premised on any specific model, but was a general expression of intent to secure national funding."

A city official said Busan plans to gather opinions from citizens, the baseball community, experts and relevant agencies on the direction of the multipurpose dome arena project, carefully review the project's feasibility, and announce the city's consolidated position by the end of this year.