Summer is here and therefore its Baseball season here in South Korea. Sadly Summer is also somewhat of a rainy season here also, however the newly opened Gocheok Skydome in Seoul Home of Nexen Heroes doesn’t need to worry about the rain. The 17,000 capacity Gocheok Skydome is the first and only domed baseball stadium in South Korea. Baseball is one of the most popular sports in South Korea and can often attract large crowds.
Nexen Heroes were founded only 8 years ago from the ashes of Hyundai Unicorns, they are the smallest team based in Seoul behind Doosan Bears and LG Twins. They’ve never won the championship, but have been improving in recent years.
Thoughts and Key Information on the Gocheok Skydome & Nexen Heroes Baseball
We have broken up the key information and our thoughts into a few key categories. Here are our thoughts and the key information on the Gocheok Skydome;
Location: It’s located in the Guro Area of Western Seoul (Gocheok-dong) not far away from Bucheon. It’s easily accessible by either Subway (Line 1) or Bus. Guil Station / 구일역 (Exit 2) is right next to the stadium. However that is the outfield, the infield is at the opposite end. (a map is at the bottom of this post)
Ticketing: The ticketing system is a little confusing there are a number of different options and prices differ between weekday and weekend fixtures, weekends are about 50% more expensive. Adult Prices start from just ₩7,000 (upper tier outfield – weekday) to ₩3,000,000 (skybox). More information can be found here – Nexen Heroes Ticket Details. Also unlike other venues seating in allocated, but not everyone follows it in the cheap seats.
The main supporters area is called 블루석, it’s where the cheerleaders are.
Stadium / Seating: The stadium is brand new and therefore it’s really nice and modern. The seats are nice with built in cup holders. The upper tier lacks a little atmosphere as you can’t see the cheerleaders etc. But you can see the action. Also the main selling point is that it’s under a dome therefore the weather isn’t a factor. It’s also cooler and less humid than the outside.
Facilities: There are food/drinks and other stores in each level. Beer, chicken, pizza, hamburgers and snacks all easily available. Also not crazy expensive, just a little more than your local CU Mart. Plus there are plenty of clean bathrooms. The only negative are the stairs, if you’re in the top tier (like us) be ready for a good work out.
The Baseball: The game wasn’t the best from a Nexen point of view as they lost 7-1. It started at 6.30pm and went on until close to 10pm. There was some quality action a few home runs etc. We’re not big baseball fans, but we enjoyed it. The songs and overall atmosphere certainly added to the experience.
Overall once you get past the slightly confusing ticketing system it’s a really fun venue to enjoy some baseball and maybe some food and drinks. The baseball may not be MLB standard but you’re not paying MLB prices. It’s maybe the best baseball stadium in Korea and well worth checking out if you have an free evening.
Pictures of and from the Gocheok Skydome, Seoul & Nexen Heroes vs. Doosan Bears (KBO Baseball)
Firstly here are a few pictures from inside of the Gocheok Skydome stadium;
Secondly here are pictures from inside of the Gocheok Skydome stadium;
Finally a few others pictures, the free program and the food from New York Burger;
Links for More Information & Map for Gocheok Skydome
Here are a few useful links;
Nexen Heroes Website (Korean)
KBO Baseball League Website (English)
Korean Baseball Statistics
Address for the Gocheok Skydome –
Also here are a few pictures of KBO action as show on Korean TV;
Finally
As always if you have any questions about The Gocheok Skydome, Nexen Heroes and/or anything else please feel free to let us know. Either below by Email or via Twitter or Facebook.
Tim & Jeonghye
Modern Seoul
tim@modernseoul.org
Modern Seoul 