Lead

The South Korean baseball season is scheduled to resume this week after a record-breaking heat wave forced the cancellation of nearly every game last week, according to Yonhap News Agency. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced that teams will return to the field Tuesday following an unexpected summer break.

Coverage Comparison

Yonhap News Agency reported that only three of five games slated for last Tuesday were played, after which the league decided to cancel all remaining games of the week amid unrelenting heat nationwide. The KBO also announced that all remaining games will start at 7 p.m. until further notice. Normally, weekday games begin at 6:30 p.m., while weekend and holiday games during the summer start at 6 p.m.

The first heat-related cancellation occurred on Aug. 1, with two games scratched, followed by another game the following day. The Kia Tigers and the NC Dinos have yet to play a game in August due to these weather-related interruptions, with their last games on July 31.

Key Claims

  • The Korea Baseball Organization decided to operate matches more flexibly due to record-breaking temperatures. Games can be delayed or canceled in regions with severe heat wave warnings.
  • Two games were canceled on August 1 due to heat wave warnings.
  • The KBO can cancel or postpone games due to adverse weather conditions, including strong winds, extreme heat, fog, fine dust, and yellow dust.
  • The South Korean baseball season resumed after a record-breaking heat wave.
  • Nearly every game was canceled last week due to the heat wave.
  • The KBO announced that all remaining games will start at 7 p.m. until further notice.
  • The Kia Tigers and NC Dinos have yet to play a game in August due to weather-related interruptions.
Yonhap reported that the KBO decided to operate matches more flexibly starting Saturday, as record-breaking temperatures continue to grip the nation. All venues except Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome, the country's only domed stadium, can push back kick-off times by up to an hour through consultations between the league's game operations committee and individual club officials. In regions where a severe heat wave warning is in effect, the KBO said it would actively consider not only delaying the start of games but also canceling them altogether.

As an immediate step, the league called off two games scheduled for that evening: the Samsung Lions against the Lotte Giants in Busan and the Kia Tigers versus the NC Dinos in Changwon. The decision was made after a severe heat wave warning was issued for the two southeastern cities the previous day, with forecasts indicating temperatures would remain above 37°C at the scheduled start times.

Under existing KBO regulations, games can be canceled or postponed in response to adverse weather conditions, including strong winds, extreme heat, fog, fine dust, and yellow dust.

Both the Kia Tigers and the NC Dinos will open the new week at home, with the Tigers hosting the Samsung Lions at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in the southwestern city of Gwangju, and the Dinos bringing the league-leading KT Wiz to Changwon NC Park in the southeastern city of Changwon. Both clubs had been "treading water" in the days leading up to mass cancellations, and a midseason break might have given them a chance to take a breath and regroup for the stretch drive, as reported by Yonhap. At 52-46-2 (wins-losses-ties), the Tigers occupy the fifth and final postseason spot, four games ahead of the Hanwha Eagles (47-49-3). The Dinos are in seventh place at 43-50-2 and trail the Tigers by 6 1/2 games. Prior to the stoppage, the KT Wiz had been on a six-game winning streak that pushed them into first place.