The Baejae High School baseball team, which sparked controversy by shouting a "Starbucks" cheer at Gwangju Il High School during the Chungryong Flag National High School Baseball Championship, has been handed a six-month ban from national competitions.
The Korea Baseball Softball Association said it held an emergency Sports Fair Play Committee meeting at Olympic Parktel in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on Sunday, and after reviewing the Baejae High team's inappropriate cheering, resolved to impose a six-month ban from national competitions. The penalty takes effect from the second round of the Chungryong Flag tournament on Monday. Baejae High's game will be recorded as a forfeit loss.
Of the committee's seven members, five attended the meeting that day, and four of them participated in the resolution. The head coaches of Gwangju Il High and Baejae High, as well as the umpire who officiated the game at the time, also attended and gave statements on the situation. After a comprehensive review of the facts and statements from those involved, the committee determined the matter to be an act contrary to the spirit of sportsmanship and one that disrupted order at the venue.
The incident occurred on the 29th of last month during the 81st Chungryong Flag National High School Baseball Championship and Weekend League Grand Champions match held at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul. During the game against Gwangju Il High, some Baejae High players shouted the chant "Go to Starbucks" toward the opposing dugout. The expression was taken as evoking the recent controversy over Starbucks Korea's so-called "May 18 Tank Day" event, drawing significant backlash.
"After reviewing the regulations of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and the association's Sports Fair Play Committee, we determined that it constitutes an 'act of disrupting order at the venue,'" an association official said at a briefing. "After discussing various options, we decided to apply 'game interference' as the basis for disciplining the team rather than individuals."
Separately from the team penalty, the association plans to pursue individual disciplinary action against coaches and players. During the ban period, it intends to identify those involved and reconvene the committee to determine the level of discipline. The association also said it will not stop at a one-time measure but will consult with related agencies, including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, to develop education programs aimed at raising the proper historical awareness and social sensitivity of coaches and student athletes.
