Changwon City and the professional baseball club NC Dinos, which have been in conflict since a structural collapse accident at Changwon NC Park last year, have taken the first step toward repairing their relationship.
Changwon Mayor Kang Gi-yun and NC Dinos CEO Lee Jin-man held an official meeting and reaffirmed their commitment to mutual cooperation between the locally based club and the municipality. With both sides publicly expressing their willingness to cooperate, attention is focused on whether the strained relationship will reach a turning point toward normalization.
Changwon City said on the 9th that Mayor Kang and CEO Lee met in the city hall reception room to discuss ways to build mutually beneficial cooperation with the NC Dinos, the city's home team. The two sides exchanged views on revitalizing the local economy through professional baseball, spreading sports culture, and building a cooperative relationship in which citizens and the club grow together.
"The NC Dinos are a precious flagship brand of Changwon that gives pride to its citizens," Mayor Kang said. "The city will faithfully carry out existing agreements with the club and thoroughly manage the facilities so that the club can focus solely on baseball." He added, "We will continue to actively communicate and cooperate with the club so that citizens can enjoy baseball safely and comfortably."
"We are grateful for Changwon City's responsible support," CEO Lee responded. "We will build an NC Dinos that grows together with the local community." The city and NC agreed to continue working together, based on trust, to revitalize the local economy through professional baseball and spread sports culture, and to keep developing a cooperative relationship in which citizens and the club grow together.
The meeting has drawn particular attention because it took place amid the conflict between the two sides that followed the collapse of an exterior wall structure at Changwon NC Park last year.
After an exterior wall structure fell at Changwon NC Park in March last year, causing casualties among spectators, NC raised complaints about Changwon City's response during the accident recovery process and mentioned the possibility of relocating its home base. The club also presented 21 demands for improvements in club operations and stadium conditions, calling on Changwon City to come up with measures.
In response, Changwon City unveiled an unprecedented support plan for the NC club worth 134.6 billion won over 20 years in July last year, expressing its commitment to cooperation. However, NC pushed back, saying the plan lacked substance, and the gap between the two sides persisted. Against this backdrop, the official meeting between Mayor Kang and CEO Lee has fueled speculation that the strained relationship may be entering a phase of resolution.
