Olympic Stadium (Seoul)

Seoul Olympic Stadium
Jamsil Olympic Stadium
Location	Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Broke ground	20 December 1977
Opened	29 September 1984
Owner	Seoul Sports Facilities Management Center
Operator	Seoul Sports Facilities Management Center
Surface	Grass
Construction cost	1,025 billion won
Capacity	69,950 seats 72,000 (Concerts) 100,000 (Olympic Games)
Field dimensions	110 x 75m
Tenants
Seoul United (2007–2009)

Korean name
Hangul	서울종합운동장
Hanja	首爾蠶室綜合運動場
Revised Romanization	Seoul Jonghap Undongjang
McCune–Reischauer	Seoul Chonghap Undongjang

The Seoul Olympic Stadium, aka Jamsil Olympic Stadium (formerly romanised as Chamshil) is located in Seoul, South Korea. It is the main stadium built for the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 10th Asian Games in 1986. It is the centrepiece of the Jamsil Sports Complex in the Songpa-gu District, in the southeast of the city south of the Han River.

Design and construction

The stadium was designed by Kim Swoo Geun. The lines of the stadium's profile imitate the elegant curves of a Korean Joseon Dynasty porcelain vase. Spectator seats are distributed on two tiers, totally covered. Initially built with a capacity of approximately 100,000, today it seats 70,091.

Prior to its construction, Seoul's largest venues were Dongdaemun Stadium and Hyochang Stadium. Seating 30,000 and 20,000 respectively, they were too small to attract world-class sporting events. Construction on the new stadium began in 1977 with the aim of staging the Asian Games in 1986. However, when Seoul was awarded the Games of the XXIV Olympiad in September 1981, this stadium became the centrepiece.

Sports

The stadium opened on 29 September 1984, and served as the site for the 10th Asian Games two years later, then the Olympics in 1988. However, it was not used to stage a major world event since then. It is currently used as the home stadium of Seoul United FC in the Challengers League.

The events hosted by the stadium during the Olympics were the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, athletics, the football finals, and the equestrian jumping individual final.

Concerts

Since the Olympics it has hosted a variety of events, notability as a concert venue for Koreans as well as international artists.

• Seo Taiji
• H.O.T
• SM Summer Town Festival by SM Town: 15 - 17 July 2006: Kangta, TVXQ, The Trax, TSZX, Super Junior and Black Beat
• SMTown Live '08
• Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), organised by Mnet Media: 21 November 2009
• 4th Asia Song Festival, organised by Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange, in 2010.

• SMTown Live '10 World Tour by SM Town: Kangta, BoA, TVXQ, The Grace, Super Junior, TRAX, Girls' Generation, Zhang Liyin, SHINee, f(x).

• SMTown Live World Tour III by SM Town: Kangta, BoA, TVXQ, The Grace Dana & Sunday, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, J-Min, SHINee, f(x), EXO.

Concerts

Date	Performer(s)	Notes
11–13 October 1996	Michael Jackson	Attendance: 135,000
25 de June 1999	Michael Jackson	Attendance: 70,000
7 October 2000	Ricky Martin	Attendance:
2 April 2002	Roger Waters	Attendance:
2002/2004	ETPFEST	Attendance:
2004	Elton John	Attendance: 25,000
14 January 2006	Back Street Boys	Attendance:
15 August 2006	Metallica	Attendance:
27 April 2012	Lady Gaga	Attendance: 51,684
17 August 2013	Muse	Attendance:
18 August 2013	Metallica	Attendance:

External links

• Seoul Sports Facilities Management Center (Korean)

Preceded by Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles	Summer Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies (Olympic Stadium) 1988	Succeeded by Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc Barcelona
Preceded by Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles	Olympic Athletics competitions Main Venue 1988	Succeeded by Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc Barcelona
Preceded by Rose Bowl Pasadena	Summer Olympics Football Men's Finals (Olympic Stadium) 1988	Succeeded by Camp Nou Barcelona