[Official] Baejae High School baseball team, which faced controversy for mocking local rivals during cheers, to participate in the August Bonghwangdaegi tournament... disciplinary penalty reduced from six months to one month after retrial

*This content was translated by AI.

The Baejae High School baseball team, which sparked controversy with derogatory cheers targeting a local rival, has been granted permission to participate in the final national tournament of this year following a retrial.

According to NEWS1, the Korea Sports Fair Trade Commission held a retrial on the 20th at the Olympic Hall in Bangi-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, and reduced the six-month suspension imposed by the Korean Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) on the Baejae High School baseball team to one month.

The Korea Sports Fair Trade Commission meeting was attended by 12 of its 15 members. Representatives from Baejae High School, including baseball coach Kwon Oh-young and legal counsel, appeared to present their case.

The decision of the Korea Sports Fair Trade Commission takes effect immediately. The suspension imposed by KBSA on the 1st will end on July 31. As a result, Baejae High School is now eligible to participate in the 54th Bonghwangdaegi National High School Baseball Tournament, which begins on August 7.

KBSA had previously released the tournament bracket for the Bonghwangdaegi, including Baejae High School, before the retrial. Baejae High School is scheduled to play against Incheon High School in the first round at Mokdong Baseball Stadium in Seoul at 5 p.m. on August 11.

On June 29, during a match against Gwangju Jeil High School (Gwangju Il-go) at the 81st Cheongryonggi National High School Baseball Championship and Weekend League King of Kings Tournament, the Baejae High School baseball team chanted slogans such as "Let's go, let's go, Starbucks, let's go" and "Tank Day."

These slogans were linked to Starbucks Korea's "Tank Day" marketing campaign held on the anniversary of the the 18th Democratic Uprising. Even KBO club scouts and other relevant parties clearly recognized them as derogatory mockery targeting a specific region.

Immediately after the game, Baejae High School's coach, coaches, parents, and students who led the cheers delivered an apology. However, the situation escalated rapidly, spreading even to the political sphere. Consequently, KBSA convened an emergency Korea Sports Fair Trade Commission meeting on the 1st and imposed a six-month suspension on Baejae High School from participating in national tournaments.

Baejae High School's alumni and school community members bowed their heads first through the school website and general alumni association. Subsequently, on the 6th, a delegation of 86 people from Baejae High School, including Principal Lee Hyo-jun, faculty, coaches, student-athletes, and parents, visited Gwangju Jeil High School to convey their apologies in person. The Gwangju Jeil High School baseball students, along with Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Governor Jeong Geun-sik, also paid respects at the National 5·18 Democratic Cemetery.

In response, Gwangju Jeil High School and its alumni association accepted the apology. On the afternoon of the 7th, they called for leniency toward the Baejae High School baseball team, opening a path for the student-athletes to reflect on their mistakes and start anew.

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*This content was translated by AI.