The disruption of the 2023 Saemangeum World Scouting Jamboree has left the soccer world in a state of disarray.
According to the Korea Football Association on Sunday 토스카지노, the FA Cup semifinal match between Jeonbuk Hyundai and Incheon United, scheduled to be played at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on Sept. 9, will not be held as planned.
This is due to the “back-and-forth administration” between the government and the jamboree organizers over the jamboree venue.
The government changed the date and venue of the K-pop concert from Saemangeum Campground on the 6th to Jeonju World Cup Stadium on the 11th after concerns were raised about the health of the participants due to a number of cases of heat stroke in the heatwave that followed the opening of the Jamboree.
The announcement was not made until the afternoon of the 6th, and the Football Association sent a letter to Jeonbuk and Incheon on the morning of the 7th to postpone the match scheduled for the 9th.
The unilateral change of venue by the government means that Jeonbuk will not be able to use Jeonju World Cup Stadium as their “home” this week.
Jeonbuk also announced to fans on social media that the FA Cup quarterfinals on Sept. 9 and the K League 1 match against Suwon Samsung on Sept. 12 would be postponed.
However, when Typhoon Kanun was predicted to make landfall, the government decided to move the jamboree participants to the Seoul metropolitan area.
This led to a possible change of venue for the K-pop concert. The government is considering holding the concert at Seoul World Cup Stadium instead of Jeonju World Cup Stadium.
If the concert is held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, Jeonbuk’s two home games could be rescheduled.
Jamboree preparing to pull out
Members of the 2023 Saemangeum Jamboree scouting team prepare to evacuate the Delta area of the jamboree site in Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do, on Aug. 7. 2023.8.7 warm@yna.co.kr
Incheon, however, is not happy.
Incheon’s original schedule called for a two-game road trip in Jeonju last weekend and midweek this week.
After playing a K League 1 away game against Jeonbuk on the 6th, Incheon remained in Jeonju to prepare for the FA Cup semifinals.
However, on the same day, the team received a letter from the Korean Football Association to postpone the game, and the players returned to Incheon in the afternoon.
Under these circumstances, the club and fans say it would be “ridiculous” to travel back to Jeonju for a nine-day match.
“According to the rules, if the home team is unable to play, the game will be played at the away team’s home stadium,” said an Incheon club official, “but the KFA unilaterally sent a letter to reschedule the game without consulting us.
The KFA plans to take further action once an official announcement is made regarding the venue of the K-pop concert.
“For now, sending the postponement letter is the official final decision,” said an official from the KFA, “but it’s hard to say that it’s finally postponed because there are variables (related to the K-pop concert).”