'Lee Yong-gyu Drunk Driving Incident': Kiwoom Manager Bows in Apology, "Deeply Sorry to Fans and Victims"; Considering Call-up of Coach Jang Young-seok Instead of Park Byung-ho

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes, enduring a difficult season after sinking to last place due to poor performance, has suffered a devastating blow to team morale following the drunk driving scandal involving playing batting coach Lee Yong-gyu (41). With the club in turmoil both inside and out, manager Seol Jong-jin (53), who is leading the team on the field, bowed his head and issued a formal apology to baseball fans.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the home game against Hanwha Eagles in the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League' at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, on the 12th, Manager Seol said, "As you know, Coach Lee Yong-gyu was involved in an unpleasant incident. As the person in charge on the field, I feel deeply sorry to baseball fans. First, I would like to express my apologies to the victims as well."

According to Kiwoom, Coach Lee Yong-gyu was driving home to his residence in Guri-si around 6 a.m. on the 12th after finishing a drinking session with acquaintances when he caused a drunk driving accident. During the incident, he collided with a U-turning vehicle in the opposite lane and a patrol car parked by the roadside. As a result, the driver of the U-turning vehicle and a police officer inside the patrol car were injured. A breathalyzer test at the scene revealed a blood alcohol concentration level warranting license revocation.

Coach Lee voluntarily reported the incident to the club immediately after the accident. Kiwoom promptly dispatched staff to the scene to assess the situation and then filed a report with the KBO Clean Baseball Center. It is understood that Coach Lee has accepted his wrongdoing without any excuse and is deeply reflecting on his actions. Furthermore, he expressed his intention to conclude his professional career while fully acknowledging his responsibility, and the club has decided to accept this. Consequently, Lee Yong-gyu, a legendary outfielder, has brought his baseball career to an ignominious close.

In response, Manager Seol immediately initiated follow-up measures regarding the coaching staff. Coach Lee was excluded from the lineup starting with today's game, and Kiwoom will compete in the near future without a main batting coach, operating under a senior coach system. Manager Seol explained, "I plan to communicate with the club immediately after the game ends to formulate countermeasures. If we can take action quickly, we will consider bringing in Coach Jang Young-seok, the minor league batting coach, among others. It would be best for him to join quickly for the stability of the team. We will make a decision after today's (12th) game concludes."

Finally, Manager Seol conveyed a message to the players and promised to prevent recurrence. He stated, "I held a brief meeting with the players in front of the dugout before training. I urged them to ensure such an incident never happens again. I emphasized that as public figures first and athletes second, they must take responsibility for their own actions."

Subsequently, Kiwoom itself bowed its head through an official apology statement, saying, "We recognize drunk driving as a serious illegal act that cannot be tolerated under any circumstances, and we are taking this matter very seriously." The club expressed its hope for the swift recovery of the victims and emphasized, "To prevent recurrence, we will further strengthen education and management for all members and do our utmost to ensure no similar incidents occur."

Following recent restructuring of the coaching staff, Kiwoom had been struggling to escape last place. However, the drunk driving scandal involving Lee Yong-gyu, a current legend and coach, has dealt a severe blow to both the team's poor performance and its moral standing.

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*This content was translated by AI.