Cho Hee-yeon (43), the women's swimming gold medalist at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games, is facing criticism after posting a message that could be interpreted as defending the Paichai High School baseball team amid controversy. Cho also drew backlash last year for remarks that distorted the May 18 pro-democracy uprising.
Cho recently posted on her Threads account, "Should we move to Seoul to send our sons to Paichai High?" The post went up just after players on Paichai High School's baseball team were disciplined for chanting inappropriate cheers against Gwangju Jeil High School at the Blue Dragon Flag National High School Baseball Championship, fueling controversy. This led to interpretations that Cho was defending the Paichai High baseball team.
Cho's social media profile reads, "Mother of three sons, a swimmer who wants true liberal democracy to take root in the Republic of Korea where our children will live."
Online users criticized Cho's post, reacting with comments such as, "How long has it been since you apologized for saying you wouldn't make rash remarks as a public figure?", "At this point, isn't this an attention-seeking patient who keeps raising a hand even if criticized every time?", and "There are parents who teach their children to insult and mock others."
In the process, a user believed to be an acquaintance of Cho commented, "You need to block here, there are many 'leftist vermin' (a derogatory term for left-wing forces)," and Cho liked the comment and replied, "Rightㅋㅋㅋㅋ."
Earlier, on the 29th of last month, Paichai High School baseball players repeatedly shouted slogans such as "We gotta go to Starbucks" and "Tank Day" against Gwangju Jeil High School during the Weekend League championship round of the 81st Blue Dragon Flag National High School Baseball Championship.
The chants drew criticism for recalling last month's so-called "May 18 Tank Day" event controversy involving Starbucks Korea. At the time, Starbucks ran marketing using phrases such as "Tank Day" and "Desk tap," but became embroiled in criticism that it made light of the May 18 pro-democracy uprising and the torture and death of activist Park Jong-cheol.
Cho also stirred controversy last year with remarks distorting the May 18 pro-democracy uprising. She wrote on social media, "What I always go around saying. May 18 is a riot. A riot bound tightly by a spirit of defiance," adding, "Putting the May 18 spirit into the Constitution or whatever, it only makes me sigh."
Meanwhile, when she was a third-year middle school student, Cho won the women's 200m butterfly gold medal at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games. At the same event, she also took bronze in the 4x100m medley relay and the 200m individual medley, emerging as a leading figure in Korean women's swimming. That same year, she broke Korean records 18 times and received the Korea Swimming Association Player of the Year award and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) Most Valuable Player award.