SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea will allow baseball fans to return to the stands beginning Sunday as health authorities outlined a phased process to bring back spectators in professional sports amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Senior Health Ministry official Yoon Tae-ho during a virus briefing yesterday also said fans will be allowed at professional soccer games starting on August 1. However, professional golf tournaments will continue without galleries at least until late August, he said.
Both baseball and soccer teams will be initially allowed to sell only 10% of the seats for each game as officials plan to control the level of attendance based on the progress of anti-virus efforts.
Spectators will continue to be banned in the city of Gwangju and nearby South Jeolla Province towns, which have elevated their social distancing measures following a rise in transmissions in recent weeks.
South Korea’s baseball and soccer leagues returned to action in May without fans in the stands. (AP)
