Daegu city officials hold a press briefing at the Dong-in office Wednesday to announce plans to build a multipurpose sports and entertainment dome. [Daegu city government]
Daegu city officials hold a press briefing at the Dong-in office Wednesday to announce plans to build a multipurpose sports and entertainment dome. [Daegu city government]

Daegu is moving forward with plans to build a 20,000-seat multipurpose sports and entertainment dome near Duryu Park in Dalseo-gu.

Daegu Mayor Choo Kyung-ho announced the project at a press briefing at the Dong-in office Wednesday morning.

The city currently lacks a domed venue capable of hosting large-scale events year-round regardless of weather, leaving residents without access to major performances and concerts.

The Daegu Gymnasium, completed in 1971, has also become a pressing concern — the aging facility holds only 3,800 seats, a capacity that has severely limited the city's ability to grow its professional basketball scene and attract national and international competitions in indoor sports such as badminton, table tennis and e-sports.

The city began monitoring the central government's dome construction support program in the first half of this year and prepared a bid application. On Monday, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism officially announced it would select one large-scale and one mid-scale venue from among all metropolitan and provincial governments and provide partial national funding.

After a thorough citywide review, Daegu selected the Universiade tennis courts inside Duryu Park and the adjacent site as its top candidate location.

The city expects that if it is chosen in the competition — with results to be announced by the end of this year — it can immediately launch feasibility studies and deregulation procedures, complete design work in 2029 and break ground in 2031.

"Building a dome in Daegu will help overcome the limits of the city's sports and entertainment infrastructure, create high-value jobs and revitalize the tourism industry, injecting new energy into the local economy," Choo said.

He added, "Now that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's competition has opened the door to securing national funding, we will concentrate every administrative resource and capability to achieve the best possible outcome."


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