Gyeongnam Province has unveiled a sweeping support package worth 10 billion won to keep the NC Dinos baseball team rooted in Changwon, amid reports the team is considering relocating to Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.
The support plan comes in response to requests from Changwon City, which is actively negotiating with the team, and includes substantial upgrades to home stadium facilities and enhanced fan services.
At a press briefing on the 29th, Gyeongnam Culture and Sports Bureau Director Park Il-dong detailed the province’s commitment to the Dinos, beginning with a 10 billion won investment in facility improvements at Changwon NC Park through 2027.
This accounts for nearly half of the city’s proposed 22.3 billion won renovation plan. Planned upgrades include the addition of 2,000 outfield seats to raise capacity to 20,000, a 400-square-meter expansion of the team store, a new 20-meter electronic scoreboard, and the construction of a steel-frame parking lot to add 600 new spaces.
Upgrades are also planned for the adjacent Masan Baseball Stadium, which hosts the team’s minor league games. The province has already allocated 1 billion won of a 2 billion won fund to replace outdated scoreboards and seating.
In a broader effort to integrate the Dinos with local culture and tourism, Gyeongnam will launch NC-branded pop-up stores and introduce game-day tourism packages that include lodging and meals beginning next year. Longer-term goals include adjusting KTX train schedules from Masan Station after night games and fast-tracking the opening of the Bujeon–Masan double-track rail line, pending discussions with national agencies.
These measures reflect many of the 21 requests submitted by the Dinos to Changwon City following a stadium safety incident in March, when falling exterior panels injured three spectators. The team temporarily relocated and has since demanded a refund of 33 billion won in stadium-related payments and other concessions—demands estimated to total around 100 billion won.
Changwon City is expected to reveal its full support plan at a public briefing later today.
