Baek Jae High School baseball team apologizes in Gwangju for 5·18 chant

On June 6, the baseball team of Baek Jae High School (36 players) traveled to Gwangju to apologise to Gwangju Jeil High School after chants such as “Starbucks 가야지” and “Tank Day” during a national tournament were deemed disrespectful to the 5·18 Democratic Movement. The students read a handwritten apology, met with Gwangju school officials and education officials, and then visited the 5·18 Democratic Cemetery where they offered a memorial tribute.

The Seoul and Gwangju education offices participated in the reconciliation, with Seoul’s education office announcing plans for human‑rights and anti‑hate‑speech education for all school sports teams. The Korea Baseball Softball Association’s Sports Fair Play Committee imposed a six‑month competition ban on Baek Jae’s baseball team and stripped them of the remainder of the national high‑school tournament. Gwangju school principal Lee Kyu‑yeon encouraged the visiting students, saying, “Lift your heads and straighten your shoulders.”