[Official] Why was the 'unprecedented' All-Star Game fan vote 'completely cancelled'? → KBO issues official apology: "We apologize to Samsung, Choi Hyung-woo, Park Seung-gyu, and others; we will do our best to ensure a fair vote."

*This content was translated by AI.

An error occurred in the 2026 KBO All-Star Game 'Best 12' fan vote where some players' positions were incorrectly listed. In response, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has decided to immediately cancel all existing votes and conduct a re-vote.

On the 2nd, the KBO stated, "During the KBO All-Star fan vote that began yesterday (1st), an issue arose in the compilation of candidate lists where the positions of Samsung players were incorrectly recorded (Choi Hyung-woo as outfielder, Park Seung-gyu as designated hitter)."

It further explained, "There were no issues with the candidate list sent by Samsung; the problem occurred due to an error during the KBO's internal vote preparation process."

The KBO announced, "After the issue was discovered, we promptly corrected the positions. However, we additionally recognized that votes cast prior to the correction were not properly reflected. Therefore, we have officially decided to suspend all voting effective today (2nd) at 2 p.m. and to conduct a new vote starting at 0:00 on the 3rd."

The KBO added, "The voting period, originally scheduled to end on June 21, has been extended by two days and will now run until 2 p.m. on the 23rd. Final tally results will be announced on June 24."

Finally, the KBO conveyed, "Existing vote results will not be reflected in the re-vote results. However, due to system characteristics, Shinhan SOL Bank App will display results combined with the existing votes, while new vote results will be displayed starting around 9 p.m. on June 5 (the KBO website and KBO app will reflect new vote results in real-time starting at 0:00 on June 3)."

Additionally, the KBO posted an apology letter to fans on its official website.

The KBO stated, "During the compilation of candidates for the 2026 KBO All-Star Best 12 fan vote that began yesterday, an error occurred where the positions of Samsung outfielder Park Seung-gyu and designated hitter Choi Hyung-woo were swapped. After the vote opened, the KBO identified the issue and took measures to correct it; however, it was ultimately concluded that a simple position swap could not ensure the fairness of the votes cast to date."

Following the announcement of the full invalidation of the existing vote, the KBO apologized, saying, "We deeply apologize for causing harm to the enthusiasm shown by many baseball fans on the first day of voting. We also express our sincere apologies to the Samsung club, players Park Seung-gyu and Choi Hyung-woo, and all All-Star candidates from every team for the unexpected damage caused by our error. The KBO will spare no effort to ensure the transparency of future votes and will strictly manage the voting process. Above all, we will not forget the criticism stemming from the sincere love of baseball fans and will do our utmost to ensure a fair vote. Once again, we deeply apologize to all, including fans, and promise to make this a joyful All-Star Game through rigorous management."

Meanwhile, this year's KBO All-Star Game main event will be held on July 11 at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium. On the preceding day, July 10, the Futures All-Star Game and Home Run Derby will take place. Notably, this All-Star Game is expected to be the last historical All-Star Game held at the existing Jamsil Baseball Stadium, as construction of the Jamsil Dome Stadium is scheduled for the future. The two teams currently using Jamsil as their home field will play at a temporary baseball stadium, renovated from the Seoul Olympic Stadium, alongside fans for five seasons from 2026 to 2031.

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*This content was translated by AI.