Members of the Korea Baseball Softball Association's Sports Fair Play Committee deliberate on potential disciplinary actions against the Baejae High School baseball team at the Olympic Parktel in Bangi-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 1st. [Yonhap News] 

The Baejae High School baseball team has been suspended from competition for six months following an incident at the Blue Dragon National High School Baseball Championship, where players mocked Gwangju Jeil High School with hateful, "Starbucks"-themed chants.

The Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) held an emergency Sports Fair Play Committee meeting at the Olympic Parktel in Bangi-dong, Seoul, on the 1st to deliberate on the issue involving the inappropriate chanting by the Baejae High School baseball team.

During a game against Gwangju Jeil High School at the 81st Blue Dragon National High School Baseball Championship and Weekend League Tournament of Champions held at Mokdong Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 29th of last month, several Baejae High School student players chanted, "Go to Starbucks," toward the opposing dugout.

The slogan sparked significant controversy, as it was perceived as a mockery referencing the recent "5·18 Tank Day" event controversy involving Starbucks Korea.

Five of the seven committee members attended the meeting, with four participating in the final decision. The managers of both Gwangju Jeil High School and Baejae High School, along with the umpire from that game, were present to provide statements regarding the incident.

After confirming the facts and reviewing the statements, the KBSA Fair Play Committee determined that the actions violated the spirit of sportsmanship and disrupted order within the stadium. Consequently, they imposed a six-month suspension on Baejae High School from participating in all national tournaments.

The suspension will take effect immediately, starting with the second round of the Blue Dragon Championship on the 2nd. Baejae High School’s results will be recorded as a forfeit.

A KBSA official explained in a briefing, "The committee members reached a consensus to discipline the team based on 'disruption of stadium order' after reviewing the sports fair play regulations of both the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and our own association. After discussing various options, we decided to impose the penalty on the group (team) rather than individuals, classifying it as 'interference with the game.'"

Beyond the team penalty, the KBSA Fair Play Committee decided that individual disciplinary action against specific coaches and players requires further deliberation. They intend to conduct a thorough investigation during the suspension period to identify the specific individuals involved and reconvene the committee within that timeframe to determine the level of punishment.

Given that broadcast footage of the incident has already spread rapidly, identifying those involved is expected to be straightforward.

Treating the matter with the utmost seriousness, the KBSA has decided to pursue follow-up measures and institutional improvements to eradicate inappropriate chanting culture at stadiums and prevent future recurrences, independent of the disciplinary actions taken by the committee.

First, starting with all tournaments held from this day forward, it will be mandatory to provide pre-game warnings regarding the prohibition of inappropriate chanting during the home plate meeting between managers before each game.

Furthermore, to ensure a stricter response to similar cases in the future, the association plans to revise tournament operation regulations by adding a provision for "cases that cause significant social or economic harm to individuals or groups" as a basis for aggravated punishment.

Rather than stopping at one-off measures, the KBSA also plans to consult with relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, to develop educational programs aimed at fostering proper historical awareness and social sensitivity among coaches and student-athletes.