Some players from Baejai High School chant the "Let's go to Starbucks" cheer directed at Gwangju Jeil High School during a game. [Provided by reader]
Some players from Baejai High School chant the "Let's go to Starbucks" cheer directed at Gwangju Jeil High School during a game. [Provided by reader]

The Baejai High School baseball team has been banned from national tournaments for six months after players mocked their opponents with a Starbucks-themed chant widely condemned as a discriminatory taunt during the Cheongnyonggi National High School Baseball Championship.

The Korea Baseball Softball Association convened an emergency sports fair play committee Tuesday at the Olympic Parktel in Bangi-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, to deliberate on the inappropriate chant.

Lee Jun-seong, a public relations committee member of the association, told a briefing that the six-month ban would take effect from the second round of the Cheongnyonggi high school baseball tournament, in which Baejai was scheduled to play Thursday. He added that Baejai's results would be recorded as a forfeit loss.

The incident occurred June 29, when some Baejai players repeatedly chanted "Let's go, let's go, let's go to Starbucks" toward the opposing dugout during their game against Gwangju Jeil High School at Mokdong Baseball Stadium in Seoul. The match was part of the 81st Cheongnyonggi National High School Baseball Championship and Weekend League Championship.

The chant drew widespread criticism as a reference to the controversy surrounding Starbucks Korea's so-called "May 18 Tank Day" promotional event last month.

Five of the seven fair play committee members were present, with four participating in the deliberation and vote. The coaches of both Gwangju Jeil High School and Baejai High School, along with the referee from the game, appeared before the committee to give their accounts.

After reviewing the facts and hearing testimony from those involved, the committee determined that the incident violated the spirit of sportsmanship and disrupted order at the venue, and imposed the six-month national tournament ban on Baejai.

Some players from Baejai High School chant the "Let's go to Starbucks" cheer directed at Gwangju Jeil High School during a game. [Provided by reader]
Some players from Baejai High School chant the "Let's go to Starbucks" cheer directed at Gwangju Jeil High School during a game. [Provided by reader]

Separately from the team-level sanction, the committee said it would conduct a thorough investigation during the ban period to identify individual coaches and players for further disciplinary action, and would reconvene to determine appropriate penalties.

Identifying those involved was not expected to pose difficulties, as broadcast footage of the incident had already spread rapidly online.

The association said it took the gravity of the matter seriously and would pursue follow-up measures and systemic reforms to eliminate inappropriate chanting at venues and prevent recurrence, independent of the committee's disciplinary ruling.

Starting with all tournaments held after Tuesday, coaches will be required to receive a mandatory briefing on the prohibition of inappropriate cheering behavior at the home plate meeting before each game.

In addition, the association plans to revise its tournament regulations to add "cases causing serious social or economic harm to individuals or groups" as an aggravating factor for future violations of a similar nature.

The association also said it would consult with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and other relevant agencies to develop education programs aimed at fostering a proper sense of history and social awareness among coaches and student athletes.


yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com