[Anchor]
Students from the Paejae High School baseball team, who sparked controversy for using chants mocking the May 18 Democratization Movement, visited Gwangju Jeil High School to offer a formal apology. Gwangju Jeil High School embraced the students, telling them to hold their heads high and meet them on the field with confidence in the future.
KBC reporter Lee Jeong-hoo has the story.
[Reporter]
The Paejae High School baseball team students, who were handed a six-month suspension from competition and a forfeit for their remaining games following the controversy over their mocking chants, visited Gwangju to offer their apologies.
This comes one week after the controversy arose over their use of a slogan linked to a Starbucks marketing incident involving the May 18 movement.
[Captain of Paejae High School Baseball Team: I sincerely apologize to the players, parents, and citizens of Gwangju for the deep hurt caused by the inappropriate remarks and actions of the Paejae High School players.]
The players, coaches, and teachers of Gwangju Jeil High School warmly accepted the apology.
The students responded that this incident served as an opportunity for self-reflection and expressed their hope to meet again for a great game in the future.
[Lee Gyu-yeon / Principal of Gwangju Jeil High School: Paejae High School students, please lift your heads. The best way for you to seek forgiveness is to meet our students again and show your true skills, engaging in a fair and wonderful competition with confidence.]
After receiving a handwritten letter of apology and exchanging handshakes, the students from both schools visited the May 18th National Cemetery to pay their respects to the spirits of the democratic movement.
The visit to the cemetery was accompanied by officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education.
Following the controversy over the chant, the Korea Baseball Softball Association decided to impose a six-month suspension on Paejae High School and ruled that the team would forfeit its remaining games in the 81st Blue Dragon National High School Baseball Championship.
The deadline for Paejae High School to file an appeal is July 8.
As critics point out that the responsibility for this controversy lies heavily with adults who have remained indifferent to hate speech, there are growing calls for the expansion of democratic citizenship education.
(Video by Park Myeong-shin, KBC)
Reported by Lee Jeong-hoo
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