Baejae High baseball coach and two players suspended for a month, umpire also punished

The Korean Baseball Softball Association has punished not only the Baejae High baseball players who led chants mocking South Korea’s May 18 Democratization Movement, but also the coach and umpire connected to the game.

At a sports fairness committee meeting on September 1, the association approved one-month suspensions for two players and the coach responsible for supervising them. The association said it considered Baejae High’s team-level punishment, the players’ remorse and apology to Gwangju Ilgo, and the school’s request for leniency after accepting the apology.

The two players who led the chants have separately decided to end their playing careers. The plate umpire also received a one-month suspension for failing to manage the game after the inappropriate chants continued without meaningful intervention. A Gwangju Jeil High coach who directed abusive language and swear words toward the Baejae dugout while protesting the chants received a reprimand.

The incident occurred during a first-round game against Gwangju Ilgo at the Cheongryonggi tournament. Some Baejae players shouted phrases including “We’ve got to go, we’ve got to go, we’ve got to go to Starbucks” and “Tank Day,” which mocked the May 18 movement. The association initially suspended Baejae High from competition for six months, but an appeal through the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee’s sports fairness process reduced the final penalty to one month. Baejae later entered the Bonghwangdaegi, the final national tournament of the year, but lost in the first round.

The association said it would expand guidance against inappropriate chants at stadiums and prepare team conduct rules for national tournaments beginning in 2027.

“

We considered the team-level disciplinary action already imposed on Baejae High, the players’ deep remorse and apology to Gwangju Ilgo, and Gwangju Ilgo’s acceptance of the apology and request for leniency.