KSPO Dome is the cable-domed arena inside Seoul’s Olympic Park that started life as the Olympic Gymnastics Arena for the 1988 Summer Olympics and has since become one of South Korea’s busiest concert venues. Fans searching “KSPO Dome” or “KSPO Seoul” are usually trying to pin down the same handful of things: how big it is, what it used to be called, and how it stacks up against Seoul’s other big rooms.
This guide covers KSPO Dome’s seating capacity, its Olympic-era origin as the Olympic Gymnastics Arena, how it compares to Gocheok Sky Dome and Inspire Arena for size, and what to expect if you’re heading there for a concert or award show.
Quick Answer
KSPO Dome is a roughly 15,000-seat indoor arena in Seoul’s Olympic Park, built in 1986 as the Olympic Gymnastics Arena for the 1988 Seoul Olympics and rebranded KSPO Dome after a 2016-2018 remodel. It’s one of the largest indoor concert arenas in Seoul and South Korea, though it isn’t the single biggest — Gocheok Sky Dome (a domed baseball stadium also used for concerts, capacity up to around 25,000) is larger overall.
From Olympic Gymnastics Arena to KSPO Dome
Built between 1984 and 1986, the venue opened as the Olympic Gymnastics Arena, hosting gymnastics competitions at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Its cable-dome roof, designed by engineer David H. Geiger with a distinctive four-layer fabric membrane, was the first self-supporting structure of its kind and let the building span a huge column-free interior without heavy internal supports.
The 2016-2018 remodel reworked the interior specifically for live entertainment: upgraded rigging, sound treatment, and a redesigned facade, alongside a new name, KSPO Dome. The rename reflects the venue’s operator, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (KSPO), which also manages other Olympic Park facilities. Under its new identity, the arena quickly became one of the country’s most in-demand concert halls, sitting alongside sports and cultural events on its calendar as the Olympic Gymnastics Arena once did.
KSPO Dome Capacity: How Big Is It?
KSPO Dome’s standard capacity is about 15,000 seats, the figure the venue and ticketing platforms cite for concerts and award shows. The venue’s own materials also reference a simultaneous-occupancy figure closer to 14,600 for certain configurations, since the floor and lower-bowl seating can be reconfigured between sports, concerts, and stage productions.
That capacity puts KSPO Dome in the same tier as Incheon’s Inspire Arena, which also holds around 15,000. It’s smaller than Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul’s fully domed stadium (built primarily for baseball) that can hold up to roughly 25,000 for concerts, but larger than older arenas like Jamsil Arena, which seats just over 11,000.
Is KSPO Dome the Biggest Arena in Seoul or Korea?
Not quite, and it isn’t even the largest purpose-built music venue in its own capacity tier. Gocheok Sky Dome is Seoul’s largest arena by raw capacity, but it’s a multipurpose domed stadium built primarily for baseball, not a concert hall. KSPO Dome itself started out as the Olympic Gymnastics Arena, a sports venue built for the 1988 Olympics that was only remodeled for concerts decades later. The title of South Korea’s largest venue built specifically for music instead belongs to Inspire Arena in Incheon, which was designed from the ground up as a concert hall and can be configured for up to around 15,000.
So the honest ranking looks like this: Gocheok Sky Dome (up to ~25,000) is the biggest arena-style venue in Seoul overall; KSPO Dome and Inspire Arena (both around 15,000) follow as the next-largest venues regularly hosting concerts, with Inspire Arena holding the distinction of being the country’s largest purpose-built music venue; and Jamsil Arena and other older halls sit below that.
A Stage for K-Pop’s Biggest Names
KSPO Dome has hosted a steady stream of major K-pop acts, including BTS, Charlie Puth, and BLACKPINK, whose Born Pink World Tour launched here in October 2022 with sold-out shows. It has also served as the site of televised award ceremonies, including the 12th Circle Chart Music Awards in February 2023.
Beyond concerts, the arena’s retractable seating and large floor make it a regular host for operas, corporate events, and esports finals, a versatility that dates back to its original design as a multi-use Olympic gymnasium.
Getting There and Planning Your Visit
KSPO Dome sits inside Olympic Park in Seoul’s Songpa District, a short walk from Olympic Park Station on Line 5 and Line 9, making it one of the easiest major concert venues in the city to reach without a car. On-site parking is available for those driving in, though it fills up quickly for major concerts.
Tickets for concerts and award shows at KSPO Dome are sold through Korean ticketing platforms such as Interpark, Yes24, and Melon Ticket, with fan-club presales common ahead of general on-sale for K-pop tours. For official venue details, facility specs, and event listings, check the official KSPO Dome page run by the Olympic Park management office.
KSPO Dome FAQs
What is KSPO Dome’s seating capacity?
KSPO Dome holds about 15,000 people, making it one of the largest indoor concert arenas in South Korea, though the multipurpose Gocheok Sky Dome holds more overall.
Was KSPO Dome originally built for the Olympics?
Yes. It opened in 1986 as the Olympic Gymnastics Arena, built to host gymnastics competitions at the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics, before being remodeled and renamed KSPO Dome in 2018.
Is KSPO Dome the biggest concert venue in Seoul or Korea?
It’s one of the largest but not the single biggest. Gocheok Sky Dome, a domed stadium built primarily for baseball, holds more people overall. KSPO Dome itself was built as an Olympic sports venue rather than a purpose-built concert hall — that distinction belongs to Incheon’s Inspire Arena, South Korea’s largest venue designed specifically for music. KSPO Dome and Inspire Arena hold similar capacities of around 15,000.
Why is it called KSPO Dome instead of Olympic Gymnastics Arena?
The venue was renamed KSPO Dome after a 2016-2018 remodel for live entertainment, reflecting its operator, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (KSPO). Olympic Gymnastics Arena remains its original 1988 Olympics name.
Which major artists have performed at KSPO Dome?
BLACKPINK, BTS, and Charlie Puth are among the acts that have performed there, and it has hosted award shows including the Circle Chart Music Awards.
How do you get to KSPO Dome?
KSPO Dome is inside Olympic Park in Songpa District, a short walk from Olympic Park Station on Seoul’s Line 5 and Line 9, with on-site parking also available.
Get More from KSPO Dome
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate KSPO Dome, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Want the day’s theme park news in your inbox? Subscribe to ThrillZing Daily — free.