Why did the Korea Baseball Softball Association suspend Pai Chai High School players and their manager?

The KBSA suspended the two players for leading chants of Let’s go to Starbucks and Tank Day during a late June tournament game in Seoul against Gwangju Jeil High School. It also punished their manager for a lack of oversight over the incident.

What happened to Pai Chai High School’s team ban after the baseball trash-talk case?

The KBSA first gave Pai Chai a six-month ban from national tournaments on July 1. The Korean Sport and Olympic Committee later reduced it to one month on July 20, which let the team compete in the Bonghwang National High School Baseball Tournament in August.

Players, manager for high school baseball team suspended over trash talk

Q: How did the KBSA and the schools respond after the chanting incident between Pai Chai and Gwangju Jeil High School?

The KBSA said it weighed the players’ in-person apology and Gwangju Jeil’s request for leniency when making its ruling. It also suspended the home plate umpire for one month and said it will educate student-athletes on unacceptable actions and prepare a new code of conduct for the 2027 season.

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Summary

Two players and their manager for Pai Chai High School were suspended for a month by the Korea Baseball Softball Association on Wednesday over a trash-talking incident. The players led chants of Let’s go to Starbucks and Tank Day during a national tournament game in late June in Seoul against Gwangju Jeil High School. The KBSA said it considered the players’ apologies and Gwangju Jeil’s request for leniency. It also suspended the home plate umpire for one month and said it will prepare a new code of conduct for the 2027 season.

Key Facts

The chants were linked to a controversial Starbucks Korea promotion on May 18 that drew criticism for allegedly mocking the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy uprising.
On July 1, the KBSA initially banned Pai Chai High School from national tournaments for six months, but the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee reduced the ban to one month on July 20.
The reduced suspension allowed Pai Chai to play in the Bonghwang National High School Baseball Tournament in August.
A coach from Gwangju Jeil High School received a warning for using expletives while arguing with Pai Chai players and staff during the game.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 2, 2026 1:58 pm KST

Players from Pai Chai High School's baseball team line up before a match during the Bonghwangdaegi nationwide high school baseball tournament, Aug. 12. Yonhap

Two players and their manager for a Seoul high school baseball team were suspended for a month by the sport's national governing body Wednesday for their role in a trash-talking incident.

The Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) handed down a one-month suspension on the three principal figures of the June incident from Pai Chai High School.

The two players were penalized for leading their team's chants, "Let's go to Starbucks!" and "Tank Day!" during a national tournament game in late June in Seoul against Gwangju Jeil High School from the southwestern city of Gwangju.

These words were linked to a controversial Starbucks Korea promotion on May 18, which drew strong criticism for allegedly mocking the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy uprising on its 46th anniversary.

On July 1, the KBSA slapped Pai Chai with a six-month ban from competing at national tournaments, but the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee reduced it to one month on July 20 following the school's appeal.

The decision allowed Pai Chai to play in the final major national competition of the year in August, the Bonghwang National High School Baseball Tournament.

Separately, though, the KBSA decided to penalize the two players for their trash talk and their manager for his lack of oversight.

The KBSA said it considered the way the players showed their remorse and offered an apology to Gwangju Jeil in person, and also how Gwangju Jeil accepted Pai Chai's apology and asked for leniency for the school's baseball team.

The KBSA also suspended the home plate umpire from that June game for one month for failing to stop inappropriate chants from Pai Chai and allowing the game to continue.

A coach from Gwangju Jeil received a warning from the KBSA for his use of expletives when arguing with Pai Chai players and coaching staff during the game.

The KBSA said it will continue to educate student-athletes on unacceptable actions at games and will prepare a new code of conduct for the 2027 season.

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