[Sportschosun Kim So-hee reporter] Singer JK Kim Dong-wook publicly backed Paichai High School baseball players who became the center of controversy over the cheer slogan "Let's go to Starbucks," and criticized the severity of the punishment.
On the 4th, JK Kim Dong-wook wrote "Paichai fighting" on his social media account and said, "Yes, people can make mistakes at any time in life. But is it right to impose punishment, crush the future of children who are still growing, and turn them into political scapegoats?"
He also pointed out the level of punishment, saying, "Even if you come out, clear the benches, and beat each other up, you don't get six months." He added, "Let them apologize to each other and return to the game with good intentions. The more you make a scene, the more the public will inevitably turn against you."
He went on to say, "Is sending funeral wreaths to the school really the right thing to do? Even though I don't have children, I feel heartbroken when I think about how parents must feel. Let's wake up! And don't use kids for politics!!"
Earlier, on the 30th of last month, JK Kim Dong-wook also mentioned the controversy and wrote, "So you got triggered," adding, "You are blowing up a harmless incident that came out of kids playing baseball? The far-left's act of marking targets and their atrocities are a toxic mindset that should disappear now." His remarks drew criticism.
The controversy began on the 29th of last month during the first-round game between Gwangju Jeil High School and Paichai High School in the 81st Blue Dragon National High School Baseball Championship and Weekend League Championship Tournament, held at Mokdong Baseball Stadium in Seoul's Yangcheon District. The issue escalated after it became known that some Paichai High School student players had shouted slogans such as "Let's go to Starbucks" and "Tank Day" toward the opposing dugout.
The slogans were criticized as expressions that recalled Starbucks Korea's so-called "Tank Day" event controversy in May, and they were also condemned as mocking the 5·18 Democratization Movement. After hearing the chants, a Gwangju Jeil High School coach strongly protested toward the opposing dugout during the game, saying, "What are you doing now?" The umpires immediately stepped in to mediate and warned the players about the cheering.
As the game footage quickly spread through social media and online communities, criticism grew that the chants may have contained regional discrimination and an intent to ridicule the opposing team. As the backlash intensified, Paichai High School posted an apology on its official social media account. The school said, "We sincerely apologize for the deep hurt and disappointment caused to the Gwangju Jeil High School team, parents, alumni, and many others, including citizens of Gwangju, by the inappropriate cheering slogans of some student players." It added, "We immediately stopped the student players involved and took the necessary measures on site, and after the game, we also conveyed our apology to the Gwangju Jeil High School baseball team."
However, on the 1st, the Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) held a Sports Fairness Committee meeting and decided that the Paichai High School baseball team's inappropriate cheering slogans were "contrary to sportsmanship and disrupted order at the stadium," and it imposed a six-month suspension from national competitions.
Meanwhile, JK Kim Dong-wook publicly expressed support for former President Yoon Suk-yeol during last year's impeachment crisis. More recently, he also stated his position on social media regarding Starbucks' "Tank Day" marketing controversy, writing, "If you want to go, go. The choice is free."
The following is JK Kim Dong-wook's full statement.
Paichai fighting
Yes, people can make mistakes at any time in life
But is it right to impose punishment while crushing the future of children who are still growing?
Is it right to turn them into political scapegoats?
Even if you come out, clear the benches, and beat each other up, you don't get six months.
Let them apologize to each other and return to the game with good intentions.
The more you make a scene, the more the public will inevitably turn against you.
Is sending funeral wreaths to the school really the right thing to do?
Even though I don't have children, I feel heartbroken when I think about how parents must feel.
Let's wake up! And don't use kids for politics!!
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