Four Lotte Giants baseball players have been caught on closed-circuit television at an illegal gambling venue in Taiwan, prompting the club to order their immediate return to South Korea.
The professional baseball team confirmed on February 13 that players Na Seung-yeop, Ko Seung-min, Kim Dong-hyuk, and Kim Se-min visited a location classified as illegal in Taiwan during their spring training camp in Tainan.
"We have confirmed through player interviews and fact-finding that four players visited a location classified as illegal in Taiwan," the club said. "We will immediately send them back to Korea."
CCTV footage showing the Lotte players at the local gaming establishment spread across various online communities on the same day. Initially, three players—Na, Ko, and Kim Dong-hyuk—were reported to have entered the venue, but the investigation revealed a fourth player was also present.
The Giants have been conducting their first spring training camp in Tainan since January 25. The players reportedly visited the gambling venue on February 12, a rest day during the camp.
"We view the current situation seriously," the club said. "We will conduct a thorough investigation and deal sternly with any additional findings. We have also warned the entire team. We apologize once again for causing this controversy."
Posts on social media in Taiwan mocked the players, with one asking whether the Korean baseball team "came to steal tofu rather than baseballs"—a local slang term for sexual harassment. Published photos appeared to show one player placing his hand on a female employee's body, raising allegations of inappropriate contact.
The club denied the allegations. "There seems to be a misunderstanding because of the player's hand position," a team spokesperson said. "The employee was positioned further forward than his hand, so there was no contact. The player feels very wronged."
Disciplinary action against the four players appears inevitable. Under Article 151 of the Korea Baseball Organization regulations, registered players who engage in gambling, including illegal online gambling, face suspension from participation for at least one month, suspension from at least 30 games, or fines of at least 3 million won ($2,100).