A person surnamed Kim (78), whom we met in front of Mokdong Baseball Stadium in Seoul at 4 p.m. on the 12th, said this. Kim, a 66th graduating class alumnus of Incheon High School, came to the stadium with his son, a fellow alumnus. Paichai High School faces Incheon High School in the first round of the 54th Bonghwangdaegi National High School Baseball Tournament that day. It had been 45 days since disciplinary action over a controversy about downplaying the May 18 pro-democracy movement.
Crowds of supporters began to gather an hour before the game. Most were players' families and friends. Fans who said they usually enjoy watching high school baseball also headed to their seats holding players' photos and cheer pamphlets.
Excitement for the game mixed with cautious expressions. A high school student A, who came to support a friend on the Paichai High School team, said, "Because of the earlier controversy, I tried not to let many people around me know I was coming," and added, "The parts where the cheering went wrong deserve criticism, but it seems the situation has also overheated."
The Paichai High School squad arrived at the stadium around 3:30 p.m. that day. After waiting about 25 minutes on the bus, they headed to the third-base dugout. They showed no particular reaction to the cheering around them.
Manager Kwon O-young, who leads the Paichai High School baseball team, did not come to the stadium after being suspended from duty by the school's own discipline. Acting manager Coach Lee Jang-hwan said before moving, "We are truly sorry," and added, "We will greet you with our best effort."
The stadium video board displayed phrases such as "Mocking the opponent OUT" and "Mocking history OUT." In the third-base stands used by Paichai High School, banners in the name of the Paichai School alumni association reading "Certain victory, Paichai High School baseball team" and "If you want to be great, serve others" were also hung.
Kim Dong-yeon, president of the Paichai High School alumni association, who came to cheer, said, "We prepared 120 servings of bread and water with fellow alumni to encourage the players." One alumni association member noted, "There was also a request from parents to refrain from overheated cheering."
Even during the game, spectators on the Paichai High School side continued calm cheering. From time to time, they sang the school song or simply shouted the slogan "Let's go! Let's go!" while calling out players' names.
This game is Paichai High School's first official game in 45 days since playing the first round against Gwangju Jeil High School in the Blue Dragon Flag National High School Baseball Championship and weekend league champions' tournament on June 29.
Earlier, during the Blue Dragon Flag game, the Paichai High School baseball team shouted slogans at Gwangju Jeil High School such as "Let's go to Starbucks" and "Tank Day." This sparked controversy that they downplayed the May 18 pro-democracy movement, and the Korea Baseball Softball Association's Sports Fairness Committee handed Paichai High School a six-month suspension from national competitions.
However, after the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) Sports Fairness Committee drastically reduced the penalty to a one-month suspension, Paichai High School was cleared to enter the Bonghwangdaegi. It is known that a mitigating factor was that all 36 members of the Paichai High School baseball team visited Gwangju Jeil High School to apologize and paid their respects at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery.