Actor Im Ho. [Herald POP (now Herald Muse)]
Actor Im Ho. [Herald POP (now Herald Muse)]

Actor Im Ho issued a formal apology in his capacity as president of the Baejae High School General Alumni Association over a controversy involving regional slur chants by the school's students.

Im posted an apology statement through a regional daily on Monday, saying, "I sincerely bow my head and apologize for the deep hurt caused by the inappropriate cheering displayed by Baejae High School's baseball team players at the recent Cheongnyonggi National High School Baseball Championship."

He added that "the students' behavior was clearly wrong, and the responsibility for failing to prevent such conduct and instill the right values lies with the school and its alumni sunbae as well."

Im also said the school would visit Gwangju Jeil High School on Wednesday "to offer a heartfelt apology," and expressed gratitude that the visit had been "graciously accepted."

Students from Gwangju Jeil High School and Baejae High School pay their respects at the National May 18th Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, South Jeolla-Gwangju Special Integrated City, on Monday. [Yonhap]
Students from Gwangju Jeil High School and Baejae High School pay their respects at the National May 18th Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, South Jeolla-Gwangju Special Integrated City, on Monday. [Yonhap]

On the same day, 36 members of Baejae High School's baseball team visited Gwangju Jeil High School, where they paid their respects at the school's monument to the Gwangju Student Independence Movement, before joining Gwangju Jeil students at the National May 18th Democratic Cemetery. Im attended alongside Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Jeong Geun-sik, South Jeolla-Gwangju Special Integrated City Education Superintendent Kim Dae-jung, and Gwangju Jeil alumni.

The controversy began June 29 during the 81st Cheongnyonggi National High School Baseball Championship and Weekend League Championship game at Seoul's Mokdong Baseball Stadium, when Baejae High players directed chants toward the Gwangju Jeil dugout — including "Let's go, let's go, let's go to Starbucks" and "Tank Day" — widely condemned as regional slurs and mockery of the May 18 pro-democracy uprising. Baejae High was subsequently banned from national tournaments for six months.


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