Baejai High School baseball players make their way into Mokdong Baseball Stadium in Yangcheon-gu on Wednesday ahead of their first-round match against Incheon High at the 54th Bonghwang Daegi National High School Baseball Tournament. [Yonhap]
Baejai High School baseball players make their way into Mokdong Baseball Stadium in Yangcheon-gu on Wednesday ahead of their first-round match against Incheon High at the 54th Bonghwang Daegi National High School Baseball Tournament. [Yonhap]

Baejai High School's baseball team returned to competitive play Wednesday, taking the field at Mokdong Baseball Stadium in Yangcheon-gu at 5 p.m. for a first-round match against Incheon High at the 54th Bonghwang Daegi National High School Baseball Tournament. It was the team's first official game in 45 days, since their Cheongryonggi match against Gwangju Ilgo on June 29.

The controversy erupted during that game, when some Baejai players shouted chants — including "Let's go to Starbucks" and "Tank Day" — widely interpreted as denigrating the May 18 pro-democracy movement.

The Korea Baseball Softball Association's Sports Fair Committee subsequently handed Baejai a six-month ban from national tournaments and forfeited their remaining Cheongryonggi matches. On appeal, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee's Sports Fair Committee reduced the suspension to one month, citing Gwangju Ilgo's request for leniency and forgiveness.

The Baejai squad arrived at Mokdong Baseball Stadium around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday — an hour and a half before first pitch — but did not immediately step off the bus.

With reporters gathered at the entrance, the players waited inside the bus for about 25 minutes before emerging around 3:55 p.m.

Head coach Kwon Oh-young did not appear at the stadium, having been removed from his duties under the school's own disciplinary action. The two players who led the inappropriate chants were also barred from the game.

Coach Lee Jang-hwan, who led the team in Kwon's absence, offered a brief comment — "Both the coaches and the players are reflecting deeply" — before heading into the dugout.

About 40 people, including parents and Baejai alumni, were in the stands by game time. As the players took the field to warm up, supporters called out, "Baejai, hold your heads high."

Before the game, Lee told reporters, "We have reflected a great deal since the incident. We are truly sorry, and we worked hard throughout the one-month suspension to come back and show a better side of ourselves."


quq@heraldcorp.com