Despite sharing the same Jamsil stadium, the attitudes toward baseball fans with physical disabilities are still very different. This is the story of Jamsil rivals LG Twins and Doosan Bears.
I wrote (August 23, 2022) as the first article in the ‘Doo Ri Burn@@’ series. A year later, I checked the websites of 10 professional baseball teams to see what has changed.
Nothing much has changed from last year. However, the difference in the price of wheelchair seats between the LG Twins and Doosan Bears, who share the same Jamsil Stadium, is still troubling.
Are the wheelchair seats located differently at the two teams? Not really. The wheelchair seats at Jamsil Stadium do not distinguish between teams. They are located in the same place. So why are the prices of the wheelchair seats more than twice as high? The answer is that they are calculated differently.
LG focused on the physical mobility of spectators in wheelchairs. LG charges 4,000 won for wheelchair seats during the week and 4500 won on weekends and holidays.
An LG representative explained the rationale behind the pricing, saying, “People with disabilities receive a 50% discount on the outfield green seats (8,000 won) and enter for 4,000 won. Since spectators in wheelchairs cannot reach the outfield, they are located in the red and blue seats, but they are charged the same price of 4,000 won.” In other words, even if a baseball fan in a wheelchair wants to sit in the outfield, they are charged the outfield ticket price because they cannot physically reach the outfield.
Doosan, on the other hand, focuses on the location of the wheelchair seats. Doosan charges 8,000 to 10,000 won for wheelchair seats on weekdays and 9,000 to 11,000 won on weekends and holidays. 메이저사이트
A Doosan representative said, “We have wheelchair seats in blue seats (20,000 won on weekdays) and red seats (16,000 won). The pricing is based on a 50 percent discount from the adult price for both seats.” If a disabled person sits in the outfield seats (8,000 won), Doosan charges 4,000 won with the same 50 percent discount.
Compared to last year, Doosan’s price increase for wheelchair seats is also noticeable. This is due to an increase in the price of infield seats. With a price increase of 2,000 won compared to last year, the price of wheelchair seats has also increased. On the other hand, LG’s outfield seats did not increase in price, so the price of wheelchair seats remained unchanged.
Despite the different prices, the two clubs have something in common. There are no discounts for companions of wheelchair users. Most fans in wheelchairs are more likely to come with a companion than alone.
Last year, I met Oh Jeong-seop (53), a quadriplegic, in a wheelchair at a baseball stadium. “I come to the stadium once or twice a year because I am busy with hospital treatment. I look forward to coming to the baseball field even though I am undergoing difficult treatment. It’s the highlight of my life. However, the lady who brings me to the ballpark and makes it easier for me has to pay the full adult price for the infield seats. I’m forced to sit here, unable to focus on the game because she’s constantly checking on me, and I wish they would lower the price for companions.”
For reference, the Kiwoom Heroes still have the most “evil” price of the 10 teams at 10,000 won (weekdays) and 15,000 won (weekends) for wheelchair seats, but this season they started offering a free ticket to a companion with the purchase of a wheelchair seat. The NC Dinos and KIA Tigers also allow free admission for one companion of a spectator who purchases a wheelchair seat. The Lotte Giants and KT Wiz allow a companion to purchase a ticket for the same price as a wheelchair seat.
Price is not an absolute criterion. The “ratio” of accessible facilities in a ballpark, including wheelchair seats, is more important than price. There is no right answer to the different pricing rationale of LG and Doosan, who share Jamsil Stadium. However, if there was a price difference of more than 2 times in the price of table seats and excitement zones instead of wheelchair seats, would LG fans or Doosan fans have been willing to pay more?
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