[Sportschosun Reporter Jo Min-jung] The production team of 'Flame Baseball' has decided not to air the episode featuring Baejae High School, which has been embroiled in a controversy over the trivialization of the May 18 Democratization Movement.
Studio C1, the production company, announced on the 1st via a notice on its official YouTube channel, "We took the recent issues regarding Baejae High School very seriously," adding, "We have decided not to release the Baejae High School episode that was scheduled to air on July 6. " He added, "We ask for the viewers' understanding," and continued, "We will return on July 13th with the Seongnam High School episode. " Originally, Baejae High School faced off against the 'Flame Fighters' at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul last month, and an edited version of the match was scheduled to be released after the live broadcast.
However, the Baejae High School baseball team subsequently became the center of controversy after shouting inappropriate cheering slogans during a national high school baseball tournament. During the match against Gwangju Jeil High School at the Blue Dragon Flag National High School Baseball Championship on the 29th of last month, a scene was captured on broadcast screens where some players repeatedly shouted "We have to go, we have to go, we have to go to Starbucks" toward the opposing dugout. This slogan evoked the controversy surrounding Starbucks Korea's 'Tank Day' event last May, leading to criticism that it was trivializing the May 18 Democratization Movement.
Public opinion rapidly deteriorated as the related video spread online. As the controversy grew, Baejae High School issued an official apology on its website.
The school stated, "We sincerely apologize for causing deep hurt to the Gwangju Jeil High School team, parents, alumni, and the citizens of Gwangju through the inappropriate cheering of some student athletes. " They also announced follow-up measures, including referring the student in question to the Student Discipline Committee and conducting education on sportsmanship, human rights sensitivity, and history awareness for the entire baseball team.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has also launched an investigation into the matter. Meanwhile, 'Flame Baseball' plans to release the Seongnam High School episode on July 13 as scheduled.
Reporter Jo Min-jeong mj. cho@sportschosun.com
