Ulsan Hyundai fans who went out to support the Pohang Steelers away last weekend are complaining about the damage caused by the so-called ‘amp terror’. After the game, the Pohang side played the song repeatedly with the volume of the stadium amplifier turned up high, and not a few fans complained of symptoms such as tinnitus and dizziness. Ulsan fans are already demanding an official apology from Pohang while collecting damage cases such as medical certificates. The Pohang side acknowledged the mistake in the process, but explained that it was for the safety of the fans.
In summary, after the two teams’ ‘East Coast Derby’ held at Pohang Steel Yard on the 8th, the song was played repeatedly at a volume so loud that the audience felt pain in their ears. After the away team Ulsan won 1-0, the song started playing as the players and away fans celebrated their victory. It was so noisy that even a broadcast interview right after the game was over. Due to the nature of the structure of the stadium, fans who could not get out of the stadium quickly were exposed to this situation for about 30 minutes.
Ulsan Supporters ‘Cheoyong Warrior’ Chairman Kim Ki-won, who visited the stadium at the time, said, “I know that there are not a few people who have received treatment at the hospital for ear pain. It wasn’t at the level of ‘a little big’, but to the point where it was impossible to have a conversation with the person next to you. Even though I went to watch soccer for over 10 years, I thought it was ‘too serious’. Above all, there were many children as well as adults in the stadium. It will be more difficult for children,” he said.
Ulsan fans are responding by collecting damage cases on their own. Nearly 200 photographs and video materials about the situation at the time were collected. There are also quite a few fans who received treatment at the hospital and issued a medical certificate. Fans explained that at the time, the decibel (dB) at the site, automatically measured through smart devices, averaged 100 to 120 dB, and in some cases it was over 120 dB on the second floor.
A fan who is actively collecting cases of damage said, “At this level, exposure to decibels for 10 to 30 minutes can damage your hearing.” It is also a loss that the fans did not properly enjoy the atmosphere of the field during the game.”토토사이트 순위
Above all, Ulsan fans are demanding an official apology from the Pohang club and measures to prevent a recurrence, as well as compensation for treatment expenses for fans undergoing treatment. The Ulsan club also plans to provide support if procedural intervention is necessary as fans have suffered damage.
Regarding this, the Pohang side admitted that it was a mistake for not recognizing that the sound was louder than usual and that fans could feel uncomfortable. However, it was ultimately explained that it happened in the process for the safety of fans. It is known that he apologized to the broadcaster for not conducting the broadcast interview normally.
An official from Pohang said, “It is true that the sound got a little louder after the game. We raised the voices of the supporters to the point where we couldn’t hear each other. The East Coast Derby has a special feature. In the past, there have been cases of physical conflict. Around the end of the game, I became aware of the provocations from both supporters. Preventing physical clashes is the top priority, so the person in charge of the home game decided to turn up the volume so that we could not hear each other’s provocations. That was a little overdone,” he explained.
“In the end, the intention was for both fans to leave each other safely without hearing each other’s provocations. For more than 30 minutes, the fans did not leave, so the sound continued. At the time, it was judged that safety was more important, so I did not recognize that it could cause discomfort. We knew that there could be discomfort due to this issue inside, so we are organizing in the direction of doing our best to guide you without using any method using sound in the future.”
He said, “We should have saved some of the tricks of operation, but unfortunately, because we were so immersed in the need to be safe, it seems that there were some mistakes in the selection process.” It is something that needs to be done,” he said.
On the other hand, Ulsan fans hope that this issue will lead to the establishment of new rules not only for Pohang but also for the entire K-League. A fan from Ulsan said, “We want an apology from Pohang, measures to prevent recurrence, and the establishment of new K-League rules. I know that baseball fields have noise-related regulations. I hope that the K-League will also have specific regulations related to amplifier noise.” An official from the federation said, “For the safety of fans, we will work closely with the clubs to prevent a recurrence.”
