Paichai High School Baseball Team Apologizes to Gwangju Ilgo for "May 18 Disparaging Slogans" During Visit

Paichai High School: "We Apologize for Our Inappropriate Actions... Deeply Reflecting"
Gwangju Ilgo: "We Hope to Compete Fairly and Honorably in the Future"

During a high school baseball tournament, the Paichai High School baseball team from Seoul, which sparked outrage after chanting slogans such as "Let's go to Starbucks" and "Tank Day" that disparaged the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement towards Gwangju Ilgo High School, visited Gwangju to offer a deep apology.

On the 6th, a delegation of 86 people, including all 36 baseball team members of Paichai High School, their parents, faculty members, and Jung Geunsik, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent, visited Gwangju Ilgo High School in Numun-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City to offer an apology. Provided by a reader

According to the local education community and other sources on July 6, a delegation of 86 people, including all 36 members of the Paichai High School baseball team, their parents, faculty members, and Jung Geunsik, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, visited Gwangju Ilgo High School in Nummun-dong, Buk-gu, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integration Special City at around 3 p.m. that day.

Three large tour buses carrying the Paichai High School delegation arrived at the school under police protection. The students entered the auditorium with their heads bowed, where Gwangju Ilgo players, faculty, and alumni were waiting. This apology visit was postponed once due to the final exam period, and it proceeded amid intense tension, including an anonymous bomb threat call.

Sitting face-to-face in the auditorium, Paichai High School representatives bowed their heads and delivered a handwritten letter of apology for the regional discrimination chants made during the Cheongryonggi Tournament.

A, the captain of the Paichai High School baseball team, read the letter of apology, saying, "We know our very presence in Gwangju may have made you uncomfortable, yet you took the time to receive us, and we are grateful. We sincerely apologize to the Gwangju Ilgo players, their parents, and the citizens of Gwangju who were deeply hurt by our inappropriate remarks and actions." He continued, "All our players are reflecting deeply, and we have realized, beyond baseball, how important character and attitude are in life."

B, the coach of the Paichai High School baseball team, also stated, "As a leader who should guide and teach the students, I bear the greatest responsibility and offer my heartfelt apology. Saying that I failed to stop the inappropriate chants because I was too focused on winning or losing is nothing but an excuse."

Faculty members added, "We see this not as a simple mistake, but as a case stemming from a complete breakdown in ethical awareness and historical consciousness, and we are heartbroken. We are currently conducting our own disciplinary procedures."

The Gwangju Ilgo side warmly accepted the apology from the Paichai High School delegation with mature tolerance. C, the representative of the Gwangju Ilgo baseball team, said, "This incident has also given us a chance to reflect on whether we may have hurt other teams," as he received the letter of apology. D, the coach of the Gwangju Ilgo baseball team, responded, "Everyone makes mistakes, but what's important is reflection. If we meet again on the field, let's compete fairly and put on a great game."

Lee Gyuyoun, the principal of Gwangju Ilgo, encouraged the Paichai High School parents who were seen in tears as they entered the auditorium. Principal Lee said, "Paichai students, hold your heads high and straighten your shoulders. While it is important to apologize through actions, what matters even more is to live better from now on, so I hope to see you show your great skills when we meet again."

He also emphasized, "Paichai High School is a prestigious school with a proud history, as its seniors nationwide participated in and endured imprisonment during the Gwangju Student Independence Movement. We must not let this tradition be denied in an instant."

After the auditorium event, the players from both schools jointly paid their respects at the Gwangju Student Independence Movement Memorial located on the Gwangju Ilgo campus. They then moved to the National May 18th Democratic Cemetery in Unjeong-dong, Buk-gu, where they paid tribute together to the spirits of May.

Jung Geunsik, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, who accompanied the visit to the cemetery, said, "True learning and growth begin with a sense of shame. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will promote restorative education to help students reflect on their actions and grow."

Kim Daejung, Superintendent of Jeonnam-Gwangju Office of Education, stated, "This joint tribute is more than an apology; it is an educational process of mutual understanding and respect, and a meaningful practice in learning democracy," giving special significance to the act.

Previously, on June 29, some Paichai High School players shouted "Let's go to Starbucks" and "Tank Day" toward the Gwangju Ilgo dugout during the Cheongryonggi High School Baseball Tournament held at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul.

This was a taunting slogan referencing the incident in May, when Starbucks Korea was criticized for using promotional language reminiscent of far-right derogatory terms during a tumbler event held to mark the anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement.

As the situation escalated, Paichai High School decided to refer the two students who shouted the slogans to the Student Life Education Committee for disciplinary action, and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is also reviewing managerial accountability. Separately, the Korea Baseball Softball Association Sports Fairness Committee imposed severe penalties on the Paichai High School baseball team: a six-month suspension from competition and forfeiture of the remaining games in the tournament.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.