Doosan Bears, LG Twins to spend Jamsil remodel at main Olympic stadium

A photo taken monday shows Jamsil Olympic Stadium in southern Seoul. [YONHAP]

The Doosan Bears and the LG Twins will temporarily play at Seoul Olympic Stadium in southern Seoul as Jamsil Baseball Stadium goes under construction as part of a broader remodel of the sports complex, Seoul city officials said Tuesday.

The Bears and the Twins will move to the nearby stadium, also called Jamsil Olympic Stadium, for the 2027 to 2031 KBO seasons, according to the city government, as their current home is transformed into a domed stadium set to open in March 2032.

Jamsil Baseball Stadium, where the Twins have played since it opened in 1982 and the Bears since 1986, currently seats about 24,000 fans but is set to be rebuilt into a 30,000-seat stadium.

The Bears and the Twins were reportedly considering other venues like Mokdong Baseball Stadium and Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul — the former and current homes of the Kiwoom Heroes. Each of those stadiums is less than half the size of Jamsil.

Seoul Olympic Stadium will seat up to 18,000 fans for regular season games and can seat up to 30,000 fans for select games, including during the postseason.

The Twins sit in second with the Bears trailing by 0.5 games at third on the 10-team table as of press time Tuesday. The Twins are hosting league leaders the Kia Tigers at Jamsil while the Bears face the KT Wiz in Suwon, Gyeonggi.

BY MARY YANG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]