Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
KBO considering doping test for rookie players
By Bahk Eun-ji
The Korea Baseball organization (KBO) is considering conducting dope tests on newly drafted players.
The move is triggered by the recent arrest of former professional baseball player Lee Yeo-sang over administering banned performance-enhancing drugs to adolescent players at his private baseball academy.
Lee allegedly injected seven players with anabolic steroids and testosterone a number of times, telling the children and their parents that the drugs were nutritional supplements to boost their performance and help them gain admission to universities or professional teams.
The Korea Baseball organization is considering conducting dope tests on its rookies. /Korea Times file
By Bahk Eun-ji
Seven youth players have had doping tests at the drug safety ministry's request, and two of them tested positive. Players who test positive for banned drugs are given four-year suspensions.
An official at the KBO, Jeong Geum-jo, said the organization is taking the incident seriously, as it showed amateur baseball is not free from drug abuse anymore.
“The KBO is considering having drafted players undergo doping tests. But more importantly, we believe adequate education about drug abuse should also be given,” Jeong said.
The KBO has two rounds of drafts among high school and university seniors who want to become professional players, with the first one usually taking place in July and the second one in August. Those rookie players selected in the drafts usually make their debut in professional teams the next year.
So far the KBO has not conducted a doping test on such players before they begin playing in the league.
Jeong said the KBO is currently discussing the details about the new rule with the Korea Anti-Doping Agency, the supervisory authority for the KBO's dope testing.
Following the news about Lee, the Korea Professional Baseball Players Association issued a statement denouncing him.
“We were shocked at his actions to have recommended drug use and administered it himself to young amateur players,” it said.
The association said Lee should be expelled from the baseball scene, saying it would make sure he will not be able to teach again.
Lee was a well-known player ― he began his career with the Samsung Lions in 2007 before being optioned by the Hanhwa Eagles in 2008. He played more than 470 games during his career with 14 homeruns and a batting average of 0.224.