Eighty-six members of the Paejae High School baseball team, including staff, coaches, student athletes and parents, will visit Gwangju on Friday afternoon to apologize in person after sparking controversy for chanting "You should go to Starbucks" as a mocking cheer against Gwangju Jeil High School (Gwangju Ilgo) during a national high school baseball tournament.
Around 3 p.m., a delegation led by Paejae High School Principal Lee Hyo-jun will visit Gwangju Ilgo to read a statement of apology and hold a time of reconciliation. Afterward, around 4 p.m., they will pay their respects at the May 18 National Cemetery together with Seoul Superintendent of Education Jeong Keun-sik and Jeonnam-Gwangju Superintendent of Education Kim Dae-jung.
Earlier, on May 29 at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul, some Paejae High student athletes chanted "Go, go, you should go to Starbucks" and "Tank Day" toward the dugout of the opposing team, Gwangju Jeil High School, during the 81st Blue Dragon Flag National High School Baseball Championship and Weekend League King of Kings tournament.
The chant was interpreted as a mocking remark evoking the controversy over Starbucks Korea's so-called "May 18 Tank Day" event that arose last month, and it drew criticism as regional disparagement.
In response, Superintendent Jeong apologized, saying, "As the superintendent responsible for Seoul's education, I apologize to the Gwangju Jeil High School student athletes, their parents and alumni, and to the citizens of Gwangju and the nation who carry historical pain."
Superintendent Kim comforted the Gwangju Ilgo student athletes and urged, "I hope this incident becomes a blessing in disguise and an opportunity to further strengthen democratic citizenship education and proper historical education not only for Paejae High student athletes but for all student athletes nationwide." He added, "You must have been very shocked by this, but do not be shaken. Based on a community spirit of respecting and caring for one another, please grow into even finer athletic talents."
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to provide historical education, human rights education, and education to prevent discriminatory and hateful expressions for all Paejae High students after June 8. Since May 30, it has been directly visiting all school sports teams to guide and inspect human rights education, the guarantee of learning rights, and transparent operations, with the on-site inspections continuing until Aug. 21.
Meanwhile, the Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) held a Sports Fair Play Committee meeting on June 1 and notified the Paejae High baseball team of a six-month suspension from national tournaments. A petition for retrial can be filed within one week of the notification.
