By Chung Hyun-chae



Baseball fans in Seoul may be able to watch baseball games while enjoying a view of the Han River, starting 2023, if a plan for a new baseball stadium is realized.



The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced a plan Sunday to build a new baseball stadium next to the river.



"We're collecting feedback from residents until April 14," Kim Yong-hak, director of SMG's southeast region management division told The Korea Times. "This process will be followed by a discussion within the city construction committee next month. Then, the plan will be finalized in late June."



The new construction project, estimated to cost between 2 trillion and 3 trillion won according to Kim, is part of the city's urban development plan in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul.



The city expects the construction to begin in 2021 and take two years.



Under the plan, the baseball stadium would be located next to sport facilities built for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul.



The site for the new stadium currently houses an auxiliary stadium which would be moved elsewhere in the complex to make way for the new project.



The new stadium, home of the LG Twins and Doosan Bears, would be the biggest baseball stadium in the country, with 35,000 seats, up from a seating capacity of 26,606 in the current facilities.



The city said the relocation will help residents sleep better at night, as nearby residents have long complained about noise and illumination at night from the baseball stadium.



"We also expect that it would contribute to promoting local businesses, as the new baseball stadium is farther from the subway station than the existing one, which means baseball fans should pass by stores nearby on their way to games," the official said.



The new Jamsil Baseball Stadium would be connected to the Han River Park, with the existing riverside Olympic Expressway being partly submerged to make room.



The current stadium would be demolished to make way for exhibition and convention facilities covering 100,000 square meters.



The Jamsil Sports Complex, the main stadium and a symbol of the 1988 Olympic Games, would be renovated rather than demolished, due to its historic significance.



The existing swimming pool and gymnasium will also be renovated into an indoor sports complex.



In addition, the plan calls for the construction of a youth hostel with 250 rooms, a five-star hotel with 500 rooms and a business hotel with 1,000 rooms in the area.



