Paichai High School baseball team suspended for six months after Gwangju uprising chants

The Korea Baseball Softball Association imposed a six‑month suspension on Paichai High School’s baseball team after players shouted slogans referencing a controversial Starbucks Korea promotion that mocked the May 18, 1980 Gwangju pro‑democracy uprising. The chants, heard during a first‑round game of the Cheongnonggi National High School Baseball Championship in Seoul, prompted outrage and led to the team’s exclusion from upcoming national tournaments.

Paichai announced it would appeal the sanction within the seven‑day deadline, with the appeal to be reviewed by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. In a gesture of reconciliation, the entire team, accompanied by school officials, parents and regional superintendents, visited Gwangju, apologized to Gwangju Jeil High School and paid respects at the May 18th National Cemetery. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education also said it will introduce history and human‑rights education to prevent similar incidents.