CHANGWON — The bereaved family of a spectator killed at Changwon NC Park has filed a criminal complaint against Gyeongnam Province Governor Park Wan-su, alleging dereliction of duty and abuse of authority.
The victim's family member, identified only as "A," submitted the complaint to the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency on Wednesday against Governor Park and three officials from the province's Social Disaster Division. The complaint centers on allegations that the provincial government obstructed the family's rights during the formation and operation of the Facility Accident Investigation Committee.
"As victims of this accident, the bereaved family has the right to express opinions during the investigation and to demand fair administrative procedures," the family stated. "Despite no legal provision prohibiting family participation, the province blocked our involvement and concluded the investigation without us, undermining fairness and legality."
Gyeongnam Province responded that allowing stakeholders—including the bereaved family, Changwon City, NC Dinos, and Changwon Facilities Corporation—to participate could compromise the objectivity of the investigation into accident causes and prevention measures. The province added that the Central Facility Accident Investigation Committee does not consider excluding bereaved families an abuse of discretionary authority.
Last month, the provincial investigation committee released its findings 11 months after an aluminum louver—a decorative exterior structure—fell from the stadium wall. The committee concluded that "structural and technical defects in the louver's connection points, combined with maintenance failures, caused the accident."
On March 29 last year, a 33.94-kilogram aluminum louver detached from the exterior wall near Gate 4 at Changwon NC Park, home stadium of professional baseball team NC Dinos, and fell 17.5 meters onto three spectators. A woman in her twenties suffered severe head injuries and died two days later. One victim sustained a clavicle fracture, while another suffered leg contusions.
According to the investigation, window repair work was conducted at the accident site in December 2022, during which the louver was temporarily removed and reattached. Subsequently, various factors destabilized the upper fixing bolts and nuts, which progressively detached. With the louver tilting to one side, weight concentrated on the lower section until four hexagonal screws pulled loose, causing the structure to fall.
"The direct cause was improper use of nuts and washers in the upper fastener connections," said Park Gu-byeong, chairman of the investigation committee. "Indirect factors include insufficient louver specifications in design drawings and construction documents. Improvements in systems and on-site management are needed across all stages—design, contracting, construction, and maintenance."
However, the committee did not determine which party among Changwon City, Changwon Facilities Corporation, and NC Dinos bears greater responsibility for the stadium's ownership, management, and operation.
Police are expected to soon announce results of their investigation into potential violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. Gyeongnam Provincial Police have indicted NC Dinos CEO Lee Jin-man, former Changwon Facilities Corporation Chairman Kim Jong-hae, and Acting Chairman Lee Kyung-kyun on charges of violating the law. Police and prosecutors are in final consultations on whether to apply charges including professional negligence resulting in death and injury.