A high‑school baseball squad from Seoul traveled to Gwangju this week to offer a formal apology after a chant during a match was deemed offensive to the memory of the city’s 1980 democratic uprising.
The phrase “Let’s go to Starbucks” was shouted by players from Paichai High School, echoing a promotional campaign by Starbucks Korea that many interpreted as a mockery of the May 18 uprising, a pivotal moment in South Korean history.
A Symbolic Gesture in Gwangju
In response, the team’s captain, together with the manager and several faculty members, issued a public statement acknowledging the pain caused and pledging to act with humility and remorse.
The captain specifically addressed the players and parents of Gwangju Jeil High School, as well as local residents, expressing regret for the insensitivity of the chant and promising to reflect on the incident.
The manager went further, admitting that the words were inexcusable and taking personal responsibility for failing to provide proper guidance, while the faculty described the episode as part of a broader decline in ethical awareness.
As part of their restitution, the delegation announced plans to visit the May 18th National Cemetery to pay tribute to the victims of the uprising, a symbolic gesture intended to demonstrate genuine contrition.
The school administration has committed to cooperating with any external investigation and will launch its own inquiry, underscoring a zero‑tolerance stance toward similar future incidents.