Jeonnam Dragons Apologize for Inadequate Response to Young Spectator's Hyperventilation, Will Revise Emergency Manual

The Jeonnam Dragons admitted that they did not respond adequately to a hyperventilation emergency involving a young spectator right after their home match on the 10th. On the 13th, they issued an official apology and said they would revise their emergency response manual.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

Three-Line Summary

On October 10 at Gwangyang Football Stadium, a young spectator showed hyperventilation symptoms right after the Jeonnam vs. Yongin FC match ended.
On the 11th, the guardian claimed on SNS that they requested an ambulance transfer but were told to report the incident themselves.
On the 13th, the Jeonnam Dragons posted an apology on their official SNS and said they would revise the emergency response manual and strengthen training.

2026 October 10 Gwangyang Football Stadium. The Jeonnam Dragons had just finished their match against Yongin FC. A young spectator showed hyperventilation symptoms. The problem came next. The guardian claims they asked for an ambulance transfer but were told to report the incident themselves. It took a day for this to become public, and the club's official apology came three days later.

Jeonnam Dragons Hyperventilation Incident: Three Days of Developments After the Match

The first complaint came the next day, October 11. The guardian posted about the situation on SNS. Popoto According to the Popoto report, the guardian asked for an ambulance transfer when the child showed hyperventilation symptoms. The guardian claims they were instead told to report it themselves. The question of why the stadium ambulance was not used right away started here.

The club's first response came on the 12th through a Popoto report. A Jeonnam Dragons official said in a phone call "The club's response was inadequate.", admitting it. The official also added that the club had personally apologized to the guardian by phone. The official said the club is responsible for running the home match until spectators have left the stadium. In effect, the club itself acknowledged that responsibility does not end when the match ends.

Timeline by Date (as of 09:00, 2026.10.14)

Date	Details	Source
October 10	Young spectator shows hyperventilation symptoms right after the Jeonnam vs. Yongin FC match ends	Popoto, MoneyToday
October 11	Guardian posts on SNS, claiming they requested an ambulance and were told to report it themselves	Popoto
October 12	Club official admits inadequate response and apologizes to the guardian by phone	Popoto
October 13	Club posts apology on official SNS	MoneyToday
October 14	Reports on the apology and plans to revise the manual and strengthen training	MoneyToday

Jeonnam Dragons apology text, posted on official SNS on the 13th

The official apology came three days after the incident, on the 13th. MoneyToday reported that the club posted an apology on its official SNS that day. In the apology, the club said it "feels a heavy sense of responsibility." The official's phone explanation on the 12th and the apology on the 13th are different stages. The former was an answer given to the press over the phone, while the latter is an official position issued in the club's name.

The original apology post URL has not been confirmed. The posting date and wording are based on a MoneyToday report quoting the apology. The apology reportedly included a plan to strengthen emergency response training for all employees, security personnel, on-site staff, and safety officials.

Revising the Emergency Response Manual: Three Remaining Issues

The club said it will work to prevent a recurrence by revising the emergency response manual. Both Popoto and MoneyToday reported this plan, on the 12th and the 14th respectively. However, only the plan has been confirmed so far. As of 09:00 on the 14th, it has not been disclosed when the revised manual will take effect, when training will be completed, or which parts of the manual will be changed.

Three issues have emerged from this incident. First, whether club staff and on-site medical personnel responded properly immediately after the emergency patient appeared. Second, whether the stadium ambulance system and the hospital transfer and guidance system worked properly. Third, who bears safety management responsibility while spectators leave after the match. In one line: "Even when the match ends, operational responsibility lasts until all spectators have left."

There are also points to note. The guardian's claim has been reported by two media outlets, but the details of the claim have not been separately verified. No separate explanation or medical records from medical staff or the hospital have been confirmed, so it cannot be determined whether there was medical negligence. No amount for treatment costs or compensation has been disclosed so far. The child's personal information is not covered.

On the 10th, the incident occurred. On the 11th, the complaint was raised. On the 12th, a club official admitted the response was lacking. On the 13th, the club issued an official apology. Neither the effective date nor the specific changes to the emergency response manual revision, nor the strengthened training for the four job groups announced by the club, have been confirmed yet. Whether the revised manual will be made public, and whether the response to spectator emergencies actually changes at the next Gwangyang home match, remain to be seen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. When and where did the Jeonnam Dragons hyperventilation incident happen?

It happened right after the Jeonnam vs. Yongin FC match ended on October 10, 2026, at Gwangyang Football Stadium. A young spectator showed hyperventilation symptoms.

Q. What did the Jeonnam Dragons' apology say?

According to MoneyToday, the club posted an apology on its official SNS on the 13th, saying it "feels a heavy sense of responsibility." It was also reported that the plan includes strengthening emergency response training for all employees, security personnel, on-site staff, and safety officials.

Q. When will the new emergency response manual take effect?

Only the club's plan to revise the manual has been confirmed. As of October 14, 2026, the effective date and the specific changes have not been disclosed.

Related Official Sites

Jeonnam Dragons official website — Check club notices and home match operation information
K League official website — League official news and club information
K League official match schedules and results — Check Jeonnam's next home match schedule

Representative image · Stock photo · Not an on-site photo of the current match described in the article · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (Yanikor), CC BY-SA 4.0