South Korea's professional baseball league has decided to push back the start of the regular season for the first time since it was established in 1982, amid coronavirus concerns.

The Korea Baseball Organization(KBO) held an urgent board meeting with the presidents of the league's ten clubs on Tuesday and agreed to postpone the opening of the 2020 season to sometime in April instead of the originally scheduled March 28.

The league said it consulted with health experts before making the decision, adding the safety and health of fans and players are its top priority. 

KBO Secretary-General Ryu Dae-hwan said the league will hold weekly meetings to review the opening date as it monitors outbreak-related developments.

Despite the delay, the KBO said it still plans to squeeze in all 144 games. 

If the coronavirus situation in the country does not improve by mid-April at the latest, it's likely the regular season will kick off without spectators.