Seoul: A high school baseball team from Seoul has been barred from participating in national tournaments for six months following incidents of insensitive trash talk during a recent game. The Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) imposed the penalty on Pai Chai High School after its players made derisive comments toward their opponents from Gwangju Jeil High School during a first-round match at the Cheongryonggi National High School Baseball Championship, the oldest and most prestigious high school baseball tournament in the country.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the KBSA's decision to suspend Pai Chai High School was immediate, resulting in the forfeiture of the team's remaining games. The controversy arose when Pai Chai players were heard shouting phrases like "Let's go to Starbucks!" and "Tank Day!" at the Gwangju Jeil dugout. These remarks referenced a contentious Starbucks Korea promotion on May 18, commemorating the Gwangju pro-democracy uprising, which was criticized for insensitivity.
The promotion, run by Starbucks Korea, a Shinsegae affiliate, offered discounts on "Tank" tumbler sets with the phrase, "Put it on the table with a sound of 'Tak!'" The campaign drew widespread condemnation for seemingly mocking the democratization movement, as the word "tank" recalled the military's suppression of the Gwangju uprising. Additionally, the term "tak" was associated with the death of student activist Park Jong-cheol, a significant figure in South Korea's democratization history. Following the backlash, Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin apologized for the promotion, and Starbucks Korea CEO Son Jung-hyun was dismissed.
According to Pai Chai, the chants were initiated by one player, with others joining in. The KBSA announced plans to conduct separate disciplinary proceedings to evaluate potential penalties for Pai Chai's coaches and individual players involved in the incident. Wednesday's disciplinary meeting included managers from both schools and umpires from the game in question.
Earlier in the day, Pai Chai proposed sending teachers, baseball players, and their parents to Gwangju Jeil to offer an in-person apology. However, Cho Yun-chae, the skipper of Gwangju Jeil, along with other school officials, indicated that their players remained unsettled and were not ready to accept the apology.