[Anchor]

The heavy disciplinary action against the Baejae High School baseball team has sparked a heated debate in political circles. Members of the People Power Party have argued that the punishment is excessive, while opinions within the Democratic Party are divided, with some suggesting that the school principal should take responsibility and request lighter penalties for the students, and others even calling for the consideration of disbanding the baseball team.

Reporter Son Hyeong-an has the story.

[Reporter]

At the People Power Party Supreme Council meeting held this morning (July 2).

Regarding the six-month suspension from competitions imposed on the Baejae High School baseball team, it was argued that while the use of hate speech was clearly wrong, the fundamental responsibility lies with adults and the political sphere, labeling the punishment as excessive.

[Yang Hyang-ja / Supreme Council Member, People Power Party: This may be because the rampant extremism and hate-mongering in Korean politics are the root causes of this incident.]

Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik also wrote on social media that while the behavior was inappropriate, "it is excessive to suspend the entire baseball team for six months when not all players committed the wrongdoing," adding that he "urges the association to reconsider the disciplinary action."

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, stated, "It is not just to be unnecessarily harsh only to the students of Baejae High School," while independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon remarked, "Even Starbucks does not face business suspension; this is an excessive disciplinary measure."

The Democratic Party commented that claims by some that mocking slogans regarding the May 18 Democratization Movement constitute "freedom of expression" amount to neglecting and condoning hate and discriminatory violence, though the party did not comment on the level of the disciplinary action.

Individual lawmakers expressed differing opinions.

Representative Kim Jun-hyeok of the National Assembly Education Committee stated that the responsibility lies more with the foundation and the school principal who failed to properly guide the students.

[Kim Jun-hyeok / Democratic Party Lawmaker: A true school principal should have pleaded, saying, 'I will take full responsibility and resign, so please spare the students' future,' and requested light disciplinary action for the students.]

On the other hand, Representative Lee Gae-ho argued, "We should even consider disbanding the baseball team to root out anti-historical hate behavior," while Representative Lim Mi-ae expressed her view, saying, "If the decision was made to establish sportsmanship, it should be accepted, and I do not think it is appropriate for politicians to consume this issue."

(Video reporting: Lee Seung-hwan, Shin Dong-hwan | Video editing: Wi Won-yang | Graphics: Han Heung-soo)