Two students on the Paejae High School baseball team in Seoul who led a chant belittling the May 18 pro-democracy movement received severe disciplinary action from the school.
According to the education community on the 5th, Paejae High School recently convened the student life committee and decided on severe punishment for two students who first shouted the chant. About 10 students who echoed the chant also reportedly received light disciplinary action.
An official at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said, "We were briefed that disciplinary action and education for the students were carried out within the school," and added, "Because there is a concern that individual students could be identified, it is difficult to confirm and share specific disciplinary results."
Earlier, Paejae High School suspended four baseball team coaches, including the head coach. It was reported that only the head coach remains suspended at present.
Some players on the Paejae High School baseball team shouted "We should go to Starbucks" at Gwangju Jeil High School during the 81st Cheongryonggi national high school baseball championship and weekend league champions tournament at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul in June. The incident drew controversy amid debate over Starbucks Korea's "May 18 Tank Day" event.
The Korea Baseball Softball Association sports fairness committee imposed a six-month ban on Paejae High School from competing in national tournaments. After Paejae High School visited Gwangju Jeil High School to apologize and Gwangju Jeil High School requested leniency, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) sports fairness committee reduced the penalty to a one-month ban on the 20th of last month after a re-review.