The People Power Party on the 1st urged a reconsideration, calling it excessive, after the Korea Baseball Softball Association handed down a six-month competition ban to the Paichai High School baseball team over its players' "Starbucks" cheer aimed at Gwangju Il High School players at the Cheongryonggi National High School Baseball Championship, which sparked controversy.
Jeong Jeom-sig, floor leader of the People Power Party, said on Facebook that day, "For teenage student-athletes, competing in a national tournament is tied to college admission and their baseball careers. Not all Paichai High players did wrong, and many did not join in the mockery, so imposing a six-month competition ban on the entire Paichai High team is excessive."
He added, "Even if we have a responsibility to educate and guide, that does not give us the right to trample on children's dreams," and said, "I ask that you refrain from excessive punishment or criticism that crushes the dreams of young teenagers whose lives have yet to blossom."
People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jae-seop also said on Facebook, "The way Paichai High players made the May 18 Democratization Movement a subject of ridicule was base and cannot be given a free pass," adding, "The weight of criticism being leveled at them is abnormally heavy. Until recently, the president and all government ministries took the lead in bashing Starbucks, and now the Minister of Education and politicians en masse are engaging in a witch hunt against the Paichai High players."
He continued, "Is the intent to seize the futures of children who have shed blood, sweat and tears all their lives as hostages over a single slip of the tongue?" and argued, "What is more urgently needed is 'true education' for the ugly, entrenched politics that label even children as enemies if they are not on one's side and then hunt them."
Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, wrote on Facebook, "Not long ago, I saw an arrogant Seoul mayoral candidate who beat a senior, hit a police officer, struck a citizen who tried to stop it, and used May 18 as an excuse. Now I see the president pushing as party leader someone who commemorated the May 18 eve festival on Saecheonnyon NHK in a hot-blooded way," adding, "Perhaps such scenes made students take May 18 lightly."
He added, "If we are unduly harsh only on Paichai High students who grew up watching such distorted behavior, that is not just either," and said, "The six-month competition ban should be withdrawn."
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon also said on Facebook, "Imposing a six-month suspension on young students is excessive," adding, "Adult broadcaster Choi Wook, who said on air that they should be run over by a tank, only apologized and is still on the air, and Starbucks was not slapped with a business suspension."