[Sportschosun Lee Ge-eun] Shin Ji's agency, a member of the group Koyote, has issued a statement on the controversy surrounding her refusal to throw the ceremonial first pitch at KT Wiz.
On the 14th, Shin Ji's side said, "We would like to explain our position regarding Koyote's August 2 home game event with KT Wiz and Shin Ji's ceremonial first pitch." It added, "We first received an offer from the KT Wiz club for Koyote's special postgame celebration performance, and we finalized the event. We judged that participation was possible because this was a chance to bring joy to all fans who came to the ballpark as 'singer Koyote,' regardless of whether they support a particular team."
It continued, "During the subsequent coordination process, an additional offer was made for Shin Ji to throw the ceremonial first pitch. However, because Shin Ji is widely known as an ardent fan of the Hanwha Eagles, we determined that taking the mound at KT Wiz's home game as the opposing team's first-pitch guest would be discourteous not only to home fans but also to visiting fans, and could cause discomfort. For that reason, we politely declined only the first-pitch offer."
The agency also said, "However, as related YouTube content was later uploaded, the context was not fully conveyed, and KT Wiz fans were unintentionally left with misunderstandings and discomfort." It added, "Accordingly, Shin Ji and our agency humbly accepted the concerns and voices of KT Wiz fans, and reached an amicable agreement with the KT Wiz club not to proceed with the celebration performance either."
Recently, Shin Ji said on her YouTube channel that she had accepted the offer to perform at KT Wiz's home game but turned down the first-pitch invitation. She stated, "I told them it would be difficult for me to throw the first pitch because I am a Hanwha Eagles fan." Since then, reactions have been divided, with some calling her behavior inappropriate and rude, while others argued that declining the first-pitch offer was simply a personal choice and not an issue.
◆Full statement from Shin Ji's side
We would like to explain our position regarding Koyote's August 2 home game event with KT Wiz and Shin Ji's ceremonial first pitch, which has recently spread through online communities and other channels.
We first received an offer from the KT Wiz club for Koyote's special postgame celebration performance, and we finalized the event. We judged that participation was possible because this was a chance to bring joy to all fans who came to the ballpark as 'singer Koyote,' regardless of whether they support a particular team.
During the subsequent coordination process, an additional offer was made for Shin Ji to throw the ceremonial first pitch.
However, because Shin Ji is widely known as an ardent fan of the Hanwha Eagles, we determined that taking the mound at KT Wiz's home game as the opposing team's first-pitch guest would be discourteous not only to home fans but also to visiting fans, and could cause discomfort. For that reason, we politely declined only the first-pitch offer.
However, as related YouTube content was later uploaded, the context was not fully conveyed, and KT Wiz fans were unintentionally left with misunderstandings and discomfort.
Accordingly, Shin Ji and our agency humbly accepted the concerns and voices of KT Wiz fans, and reached an amicable agreement with the KT Wiz club not to proceed with the celebration performance either.
Going forward, our agency and the artist will pay closer attention to avoid any misunderstandings in all communications with the public and fans. We would like to thank everyone who supports Koyote and Shin Ji.
Thank you.
joyjoy90@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
