Dongdaemun Stadium
Encyclopedia
The Dongdaemun Stadium, was in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 and included a multi-purpose athletics stadium, a baseball park
Dongdaemun Baseball Stadium
Dongdaemun Baseball Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Seoul, South Korea. It is currently used mostly for baseball games. The stadium holds 26,874 people. The stadium was built in 1959. It was closed in late 2007 and will eventually be replaced by a new ballpark.-See also:*Jamsil Baseball...

 and other sports facilities. It was located near the Dongdaemun
Dongdaemun
Heunginjimun, literally "Gate of Rising Benevolence" or more commonly known as Dongdaemun, is a prominent landmark in central Seoul, South Korea. The Korean name "Dongdaemun" means "Great East Gate," and it was so named because it was the major eastern gate in the wall that surrounded Seoul during...

 or Great East Gate and the surrounding Dongdaemun market and had many vendors selling athletics-related goods. It was demolished in 2008 to make way for the Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park
Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park
The Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park is a large urban development project under construction in Dongdaemun, Seoul, South Korea. It will contain of a multi-use park, a fashion plaza, an underground mall, and a restoration of a number of items of national heritage...

.

History

Construction on the main athletics stadium and baseball field began on May 26, 1925 and was opened for use in March 1926 as the Gyeongseong Stadium. The venue was the main center for sports events in the city, and, along with the Kirim Stadium
Kim Il-sung Stadium
Kim Il-sung Stadium is a large stadium located in Pyongyang, the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It was originally built as the Kirimri Stadium in 1926 during the Japanese occupation in 1930-1940s...

 in Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...

, was one of the two venues used in the Gyeongseong-Pyongyang inter-city soccer tournament 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 August 15, 1945, to celebrate the liberation.

Additional construction was undertaken in 1962 to modernize the two existing venues as well as create a swimming pool, volleyball courts and soft clay tennis courts. Floodlights were added to the baseball venue in 1966 and the athletics venue in 1968 to allow for nighttime sporting events.

The main athletics stadium remained the main center for sports events in Seoul until the Jamsil Sports Complex
Jamsil Sports Complex
Jamsil Sports Complex was group of sports facilities in Seoul, Korea This was built for 1986 Seoul Asian Games and 1988 Seoul Summer Olympic in 1984. Thiss Complex is Korea's largest integrated sports center, spanning an area of 402,816㎡ in the Songpa district, southern Seoul, and serviced by...

 was built for the 1988 Olympic Games
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...

. It was the home venue for the Korea Republic national football team
Korea Republic national football team
The Korea Republic national football team represents Korea Republic in international football and is controlled by the Korea Football Association. Korea Republic is the most successful Asian football team in the history of the FIFA World Cup having participated in eight World Cup tournaments,...

 from the 1950s to the late 1980s, though continued to be used into the 1990s until the last international match was played there, against Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....

 in 2000.

The 30,000-seat main stadium also hosted some football
Football at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Final results for the football competition at the 1988 Summer Olympics. The tournament was held from September 17, 1988 to October 1, 1988.-Medal summary:...

 matches including Quarter-finals at the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...

 and many matches of Korea Cup
Korea Cup
Korea Cup was a football competition held annually in the South Korea from 1971 to 1999. The cup, hosted by the Korea Football Association, was contested between South Korea and guest teams....

 International Football Competition.

Before demolition, the athletics stadium was used as a flea market where all types of both new and second hand goods were sold. It formed part of the massive Dongdaemun shopping district, which has been active for 57 years.

The first ever game of the Korean baseball league was held at Dongdaemun Stadium in 1982. The first round of the K-League
K-League
The Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...

, the first professional soccer league in South Korea, was held at the athletics venue on May 8, 1983.

See also

  • Seoul World Cup Stadium
    Seoul World Cup Stadium
    The Seoul World Cup Stadium, also known as Sangam Stadium, is located in Seongsan, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It was built for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and opened in 2001. It was designed to represent the image of a traditional Korean kite...

  • Jamsil Olympic Stadium
  • Mokdong Stadium
    Mokdong Stadium
    Mokdong Stadium is a Sports complex located in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. It has a multi-purpose stadium with a capacity of 30,000, a baseball stadium, and an Artificial ice rink. It was opened on October 31, 1989...

  • Hyochang Stadium
    Hyochang Stadium
    Hyochang Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Hyochang-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is currently used mostly for football matches.The stadium has a capacity of 18,000 people. It was built in October 1960 for 1960 AFC Asian Cup.-See also:...


External links

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