First national hybrid grass field to open by May 2019

Korea will have its first hybrid grass football pitch at the National Football Center, the national football governing body said Thursday.

A hybrid grass field has a mix of natural and synthetic grass. Its purpose is to strengthen the durability and structure of the natural grass and facilitates greater safety for football players.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said that the Baekho field at the National Football Center (NFC) in Paju, north of Seoul, will be installed with a hybrid surface. The field is planned to open by May 2019.

The KFA said the hybrid grass system used for the Baekho field is from Spanish manufacturer Palau Turf. The KFA added that local sports marketing company Willingto, which is licensed to sell Palau Turf products in Korea, will cover 90 percent of the construction costs and will be named the official hybrid grass supplier for the KFA under their agreement.

All 12 competition venues for the 2018 FIFA World Cup had hybrid turfs.

“We reached the deal after having more than 20 meetings with Palau Turf and Willingto officials,” the KFA said. “We’ll accumulate knowledge from the hybrid grass system and help develop Korean football, including the K League.”

Yonhap