During a game on June 29 at the Cheongryonggi National High School Baseball Championship, players from Paejae High School faced backlash for mocking the May 18 Democratic Movement while cheering against their opponents, Gwangju Ilgo High School. In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has launched an investigation and issued an official apology.
According to the Seoul Education Office, the incident occurred during the match at Mokdong Baseball Stadium when Paejae High School was leading. Players from Paejae's dugout repeatedly chanted, "Let's go, let's go, Starbucks let's go," which drew criticism for its perceived connection to a recent marketing controversy involving a coffee franchise that was seen as belittling the Gwangju region and the May 18 Democratic Movement.
Coaches from Gwangju Ilgo strongly protested the chant, and on June 30, Gwangju Ilgo Principal Lee Gyu-yeon visited the Korea Baseball Softball Association to submit an official letter demanding disciplinary action against those involved and measures to prevent recurrence.
While Paejae High School posted an apology on its website on June 29, it faced criticism for downplaying the incident as the actions of a few students, leading to accusations of a cover-up and even allegations that the apology was ghostwritten using artificial intelligence.
As the situation escalated, the Seoul Education Office issued a statement on June 30, emphasizing that expressions that trivialize historical pain or mock specific regions are not educationally appropriate and should not occur in student sports settings. They extended their apologies to the Gwangju Ilgo team, parents, alumni, and citizens of Gwangju.
The Education Office has begun verifying the facts of the incident. A designated department will visit Paejae High School to comprehensively assess the circumstances surrounding the incident, whether there was any intervention at the scene, the guidance process for student-athletes, and the school's follow-up actions and plans for education to prevent recurrence.
Additionally, the Education Office announced plans to strengthen education on eradicating hate and discriminatory expressions in sports, as well as enhancing awareness of sportsmanship, human rights sensitivity, and historical understanding across all school athletic programs in the district.
However, the Seoul Education Office cautioned against personal attacks or excessive criticism directed at individual students, stating that the matter should be resolved within educational principles and procedures.
According to the Seoul Education Office, the incident occurred during the match at Mokdong Baseball Stadium when Paejae High School was leading. Players from Paejae's dugout repeatedly chanted, "Let's go, let's go, Starbucks let's go," which drew criticism for its perceived connection to a recent marketing controversy involving a coffee franchise that was seen as belittling the Gwangju region and the May 18 Democratic Movement.
Coaches from Gwangju Ilgo strongly protested the chant, and on June 30, Gwangju Ilgo Principal Lee Gyu-yeon visited the Korea Baseball Softball Association to submit an official letter demanding disciplinary action against those involved and measures to prevent recurrence.
While Paejae High School posted an apology on its website on June 29, it faced criticism for downplaying the incident as the actions of a few students, leading to accusations of a cover-up and even allegations that the apology was ghostwritten using artificial intelligence.
As the situation escalated, the Seoul Education Office issued a statement on June 30, emphasizing that expressions that trivialize historical pain or mock specific regions are not educationally appropriate and should not occur in student sports settings. They extended their apologies to the Gwangju Ilgo team, parents, alumni, and citizens of Gwangju.
The Education Office has begun verifying the facts of the incident. A designated department will visit Paejae High School to comprehensively assess the circumstances surrounding the incident, whether there was any intervention at the scene, the guidance process for student-athletes, and the school's follow-up actions and plans for education to prevent recurrence.
Additionally, the Education Office announced plans to strengthen education on eradicating hate and discriminatory expressions in sports, as well as enhancing awareness of sportsmanship, human rights sensitivity, and historical understanding across all school athletic programs in the district.
However, the Seoul Education Office cautioned against personal attacks or excessive criticism directed at individual students, stating that the matter should be resolved within educational principles and procedures.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.