Lee Byung-tae, Vice Chairman of the Regulatory Reform Committee. [Photo = Yonhap News] 

Lee Byung-tae, Vice Chairman of the Presidential Regulatory Reform Committee, is facing calls for his resignation from some members of the ruling party after criticizing the heavy disciplinary action taken against the Baejae High School baseball team for chanting “Let’s go to Starbucks,” describing the response as treating the May 18 Democratic Uprising as a “sacred area” and likening the atmosphere to that of North Korea. 

On the 2nd, Vice Chairman Lee took to Facebook, stating, “What does it say about our society that we handle the youthful indiscretions of students, who used the 'Starbucks' controversy to taunt a rival team during a high school baseball game, in this manner?” This marks the first time a high-ranking official under the Lee Jae-myung administration has publicly criticized the matter. 

Lee continued, “By turning history into a sanctuary, even the near-playful mischief of young students has become unacceptable and morphed into a matter of 'politics' for adults,” adding, “This behavior is reminiscent of North Korea, where people wail at the sight of a newspaper getting wet if it features a photo of Kim Il-sung, rather than a democratic South Korea.”

The controversy began at the Blue Dragon National High School Baseball Championship held in Mok-dong last month. After it was revealed that some Baejae High School baseball players had chanted slogans like “Let’s go to Starbucks” and “Tank Day” as cheers in the dugout, the Korea Baseball Softball Association imposed a six-month suspension on the team. 

In response, some members of the opposition party raised criticisms regarding the severity of the disciplinary action, with comments such as “It's excessive” and “Should we really be blocking these kids' futures?”

However, the ruling party expressed strong disapproval of Vice Chairman Lee's stance. On the 4th, Blue House Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced regarding Lee, “It is inappropriate behavior for someone in a position of responsibility at a government agency. We have issued a stern warning and strongly requested that such behavior not be repeated.”

Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Min-hee also criticized Lee on Facebook that same day, stating, “Vice Chairman Lee Byung-tae asks, 'Is May 18 a sanctuary?' I will answer him: Yes, it is. It is the sanctuary of democracy.”

In response, Vice Chairman Lee posted a follow-up on social media that morning, arguing, “If you think it was inappropriate, you are free to criticize. That criticism, too, is freedom of expression. However, punishing someone based on their speech is a denial of fundamental rights. Even shouting 'Long live Kim Il-sung' in the heart of Seoul should be permitted.”

On the 5th, Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Young-seok stated on Facebook that “hatred and mockery toward the May 18 Democratic Uprising cannot be justified under the name of freedom of expression,” and lawmaker Kim Nam-kuk urged him to “immediately apologize to the public for your misguided perception and reckless remarks.”

Vice Chairman Lee, a former professor at KAIST, served as an aide to former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo and is known as a figure selected for the “New Lee Jae-myung” administration by President Lee Jae-myung.