[Anchor]
Following growing public criticism over the baseball team's derogatory cheering, Pai Chai High School has allowed its students to wear casual clothes instead of their uniforms. This measure was taken to prevent the backlash from affecting other students, and the school has also decided to conduct history education for the entire student body.
Reporter Jo Yoon-ha has the story.
[Reporter]
It has been four days since the controversy erupted over inappropriate cheering slogans during a baseball game against Gwangju Jeil High School.
Today, July 2, funeral wreaths were lined up once again in front of Pai Chai High School.
The wreaths included critical messages such as "Democracy is dead," as well as supportive ones sent by far-right groups. Despite being removed once due to protests from parents and others, deliveries have continued.
[Flower Delivery Driver: In the morning, they were congratulatory. (And now?) They are funeral wreaths. (You don't know who sent them, right?) No, I don't.]
The school decided to allow students to wear casual clothes, fearing that those wearing the Pai Chai High School uniform could face harassment, verbal abuse, or mockery while commuting to and from school.
[Pai Chai High School Official: (The students) are being mocked. They are being ridiculed on buses and subways. These students really don't know anything about it. We have over 1,300 students....]
[Pai Chai High School Student: On internet communities, people are saying things like, all the private academies are in front of Godeok Station, but now they are telling us not to come to Godeok....]
In addition, the school announced that it would provide history education to all students.
The school plans to conduct the education for all students, including the baseball team members involved in the controversy over disparaging the May 18 Democratization Movement, before the summer break begins.
[Pai Chai High School Official: We have recruited about 20 instructors to go into each classroom and provide thorough education to every student by grade level....]
The school plans to hold a disciplinary committee meeting around next Wednesday, after final exams conclude, to investigate the incident. The investigation is expected to focus on who first initiated the so-called "Starbucks cheering slogan" and whether the other baseball team members followed along spontaneously.
Gwangju Jeil High School, which previously declined a visit from Pai Chai High School stating they were not yet ready to accept an apology, will soon hold a meeting with its principal and baseball team members to discuss whether to accept a formal apology visit.
Reported by Lee Sang-hak | Video by Jung Sung-hun | Produced by SBS Digital News
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