Lee Gae-ho, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker (Damyang, Hampyeong, Yeonggwang and Jangseong in Jeonnam Gwangju Special City), called for disbanding the Paichai High School baseball team after its members, during a recent national high school baseball tournament game, mocked the May 18 Democratization Movement against Gwangju Jeil High School by chanting "Gotta go to Starbucks."
Lee on the 1st issued a statement, saying, "On the 29th, Paichai High School baseball players chanted slogans such as 'Gotta go to Starbucks' and 'Tank Day' during a game against Gwangju Il High School, openly making a mockery of the May 18 Democratization Movement," and noted, "This is a vicious taunt that dredges up a past marketing controversy by corporations, and the grim face of the so-called 'Ilbe play' that has spread like a poisonous mushroom among teenagers."
He added, "Korea's democracy was built on the blood and sacrifice of the citizens of Gwangju, and the foundation that allows students today to exercise and live freely is likewise the result of that noble sacrifice," and emphasized, "To ridicule this is not a mere prank or deviation but violence that damages the bedrock of democracy."
Lee said, "Testimony continues that similar mockery was repeated in games against other schools such as Dongsung High School and Jinhung High School, and at the Golden Lion tournament a Choongam High School player even demeaned Gwangju as 'the cradle of insurrection,'" adding, "This matter must not be dismissed as a mere deviation by some students during a game or conveniently swept under the rug."
Lee argued, "As this is clearly school violence and a grave insult to democratic history, strict discipline must be imposed on the offending students along with measures to prevent a recurrence," and said, "To uproot the recurring anti-historical hate behavior, even disbanding the school's baseball team should be considered in depth."