Baejae High School Baseball Team Apologizes for Mocking Chants at Gwangju Game

The Baejae High School baseball team has scheduled a visit to Gwangju Jeil High School on July 6th to formally apologize for controversial chants made during a recent game. The team, along with coaches, parents, and school staff, will meet with students and staff from Gwangju Jeil High School before paying respects at the National 5.18 Democratic Cemetery.

The incident occurred during the National High School Baseball Championship game on July 29th at Mokdong Baseball Stadium. During the match against Gwangju Jeil High School, players from Baejae High School were reported to have chanted phrases like "Let's go to Starbucks" and "Tank Day." These chants were allegedly made in reference to a Starbucks Korea "Tank Day" event, which critics interpreted as mocking the 5.18 Gwangju Uprising and disparaging the Gwangju region.

The controversy quickly escalated, drawing widespread criticism for trivializing a significant historical event and showing disrespect to the city. Following the backlash, Baejae High School Principal Lee Hyo-jun conveyed the school's intention to apologize to Gwangju Jeil High School through the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on July 1st.

This planned apology and visit to the memorial cemetery aim to address the deep offense caused by the chants. The 5.18 Gwangju Uprising is a pivotal event in South Korean history, commemorating a pro-democracy movement that was brutally suppressed in 1980. The use of such language by a youth sports team has been widely condemned as insensitive and inappropriate.