"Korea now has a long-awaited all-weather domed baseball stadium," an official of the Seoul Metropolitan Government said at a press preview on Tuesday.

The stadium, dubbed Gocheok Sky Dome, has a capacity of about 20,000 people and took six years to complete. It was initially planned as a stadium for amateur baseball players after the baseball stadium in Dongdaemun, central Seoul was demolished.

However, plans changed several times and the stadium was eventually turned into a venue for professional baseball. Due to the constant changes, the money spent was increased sharply from W40.8 billion to W194.8 billion (US$1=W1,184).

It is the first domed stadium with transparent sound-proof panels, which effectively block noise from the stadium to the outside. And it also houses a fitness center, swimming pool and facilities for football and basketball.