Paejae High School Baseball Team Suspension Reduced to One Month... Eligible for Bonghwangdae Tournament

"Six-Month Suspension Deemed Excessive"


Paejae High School Cleared to Compete in Bonghwangdae Tournament

The Paje High School baseball team, which had received a six-month suspension for chanting slogans denigrating the May 18 Democratization Movement during a game, has received a reduced penalty after a retrial by the Korea Sports Fairness Committee.

On the afternoon of the 6th, at the auditorium of Gwangju Jeil High School in Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, a player from Paje High School baseball team is holding an apology letter to be delivered to a player from Gwangju Il High School baseball team. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On the 20th, the Fairness Committee announced that, at its 19th meeting held at the Olympic Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, it decided to reduce the Korea Baseball Softball Association's disciplinary action from a six-month suspension to a one-month suspension.

The Fairness Committee acts as the final body for disciplinary appeals within its subordinate organizations, and the results of its retrials take effect immediately upon a decision. As a result, the Paje High School baseball team will now be able to participate in the 54th Bonghwang Flag National High School Baseball Tournament, which is scheduled to begin on August 6.

Paje High School is scheduled to face Incheon High School in the first round of the tournament at Mokdong Stadium in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, at 5 p.m. on August 11.

Lee Youngjin, chair of the Fairness Committee, stated, "Inappropriate conduct constitutes grounds for disciplinary action under the regulations." He added, "However, we also considered the fact that the players visited Gwangju Jeil High School (Gwangju Il High School) to deliver an apology, and, after the victims forgave them, they appealed for leniency." He further explained, "Given that these are student-athletes still in the learning process, we determined that the original six-month suspension was excessively harsh."

Some players from the Paje High School baseball team caused controversy by chanting "Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go to Starbucks" and "Tank Day" toward the opposing team's dugout during the match against Gwangju Il High School on June 29 at Mokdong Stadium, at the 81st Blue Dragon Flag National High School Baseball Championship. In response, the Fairness Committee of the Baseball Softball Association decided on July 1 to suspend Paje High School’s baseball team from competitions for six months and to forfeit their remaining games in the Blue Dragon Flag tournament.

After the incident, Gwangju Il High School requested leniency, and subsequently, Paje High School applied for a retrial on July 8. Following the Committee’s decision to reduce the penalty on this day, third-year players from the baseball team will now be able to participate in the Bonghwang Flag tournament, which is crucial for their university admissions and professional careers.

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