"Withdraw the Naming of Kim Yuseong" School Violence Controversy Sparks Social Impact

Doosan Bears' Controversial Draft of 'School Violence History' Kim Yuseong
Pro Baseball Fans Demand Withdrawal, Prepare 'Truck Protest'
Lee Youngha Also Problematic...Prosecutors Allege Assault on Junior
Will Selection Practices Shift from Ability to Include 'Morality'?

Kim Yu-seong at the time of being selected as the first pick by the NC Dinos. Photo by NC

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "We demand the withdrawal of the nomination of the school violence perpetrator and the resignation of the front office's responsibility."

Doosan Bears have sparked a major controversy by selecting player Kim Yu-seong, who has a history of school violence (school violence), in the second round of the '2023 Rookie Draft.' Although Kim Yu-seong has already faced legal penalties, the issue has become a social topic because the nature of the incident is by no means trivial school violence, and the parties involved have not reached an amicable agreement. This problem, which has arisen in the sports world, is now being publicly debated in society.

There is growing public opinion that the past sports culture, which overlooked moral issues if the player was talented, should no longer be accepted according to social norms. Doosan has only stated a general position that they are monitoring the situation.

On the 23rd, photos of condolence wreaths recently delivered near Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul were posted on social media platforms such as Twitter and various online communities. The wreaths bore messages demanding the withdrawal of Kim Yu-seong's nomination, including phrases like "Doosan Bears, secondary perpetrators of school violence" and "Doosan Bears support school violence."

Kim Yu-seong was first selected by the local team NC in 2020 when he was a senior at Gimhae High School. However, the victim's side later raised allegations of school violence against Kim Yu-seong online.

In 2017, Kim Yu-seong was referred to the school's school violence committee and received a five-day suspension. In January 2018, the Changwon District Court recommended reconciliation, but since no agreement was reached with the victim, he was ordered to undergo 20 hours of psychological therapy and 40 hours of community service. After it became known that he was a perpetrator of school violence, fans strongly criticized him, and NC eventually withdrew his nomination.

On the 15th, the Doosan Bears, who attended the 2023 KBO Rookie Draft, selected Kim Yuseong (Korea University), who had a past 'school violence controversy.' Photo by Doosan Bears Official Instagram

Despite this, Doosan embraced Kim Yu-seong. Some fans are reportedly planning a 'truck protest' demanding the withdrawal of Kim Yu-seong's nomination. A truck protest involves attaching a digital billboard to a truck and continuously displaying the desired message on the streets. This method not only damages the company's brand image externally but also attracts attention from people who may not be familiar with the issue due to ongoing protests.

For example, if the truck protest persistently demands the withdrawal of Kim Yu-seong's nomination, Doosan could face even greater criticism for employing a player with a history of school violence solely based on talent.

Currently, fans plan to conduct the truck protest for four days in line with the game schedule and are also conducting a signature campaign condemning the Doosan front office. This is why there is talk that the sports world's practice of quietly registering players despite ethical issues, as long as they have talent, is becoming a social topic.

A post by fans requesting the withdrawal of Kim Yuseong's nomination due to his history of school violence. Photo by Doosan Bears fan board 'Gomdeul-ui Daehwa' capture

◆ "Morality comes first now... A mature sports culture is urgently needed"

Recently, school violence has been on the rise. The Ministry of Education announced the '2022 First School Violence Survey' on the 6th. The survey was conducted online and via mobile over four weeks from April 11 to May 8 this year. The survey targeted approximately 3.87 million students from 4th grade elementary to 3rd grade high school, with a participation rate of 82.9% (about 3.21 million students). The results showed a victim response rate of 1.7% (about 54,000 students), an increase of 0.6 percentage points compared to the first survey in 2021, when remote classes expanded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The types of victimization were reported as follows: verbal abuse (41.8%), physical violence (14.6%), and group bullying (13.3%). Compared to the first survey last year, group bullying decreased by 1.2 percentage points, cyber violence decreased by 0.2 percentage points, while physical violence increased by 2.2 percentage points. Notably, physical violence was relatively higher in elementary (14.6%) and middle schools (15.5%), while group bullying was higher in high schools (15.4%). The perpetrator response rate remained at 0.6% (about 19,000 students), the same as the first survey in 2019, but increased by 0.2 percentage points compared to the first survey in 2021.

Given this situation, even ordinary office workers who are not interested in baseball are voicing criticism. Park, a man in his 40s, said, "It's not just Kim Yu-seong's problem; isn't this something that happens routinely in sports? Usually, when someone makes a mistake and is disciplined, they return to play. I think the sports community should establish clear guidelines based on this incident."

Choi, a self-employed man in his 30s, said, "In the past, players were selected based only on ability, but times have changed. Players who drive under the influence face various penalties and find it hard to continue their careers, so school violence is an even bigger issue. I hope the teams operate transparently and cleanly with players who have no problems."

Baseball player Lee Young-ha (Doosan Bears), who is embroiled in a 'school violence controversy,' is answering questions from the press before attending a trial held at the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo-gu on the morning of the 21st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ From Kim Yu-seong to Lee Young-ha... What happens to players with moral issues?

Before the controversy over Kim Yu-seong's nomination, Doosan was also criticized for pitcher Lee Young-ha, who is suspected of school violence. Lee Young-ha is currently on trial for allegations of school violence during his high school years, including forcing a junior to put his finger into an electric fly swatter.

On the 21st, the first hearing for Lee, who was indicted on charges of special assault, coercion, and extortion, was held at the Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 4 (Presiding Judge Jung Geum-young). Arriving at the court around 10 a.m. dressed in a black suit, Lee responded to reporters' questions about whether he admitted the charges by saying, "I will explain well during the trial process," before entering the courtroom.

According to the prosecution, Lee is accused of assaulting a junior, A, from Sunrin Internet High School nine times. The prosecution alleges that in March 2015, Lee and his baseball club teammate Kim Dae-hyun (LG Twins) forced A to put his finger into an electric fly swatter, causing electric shock and assault. Lee is also accused of making the victim perform sexually humiliating songs and dances at the gym entrance and threatening to headbutt the victim if they refused.

Lee's defense attorney denied the charges, stating, "We deny the allegations. They are all untrue."

He added, "We can individually provide evidence. We will listen to the victim's testimony and request necessary witnesses to refute the claims." He further emphasized, "While we understand the difficulties Lee faced in school life, we believe the memories may be distorted or mixed with other incidents at Sunrin Internet High School."

The assault controversy involving Lee Young-ha surfaced in February last year when a post appeared on an online community alleging that two players active in the professional league, who were in the high school baseball club, subjected others to various forms of violence.

Regarding the controversy over Kim Yu-seong's nomination, the team has taken a wait-and-see stance. At the '2023 KBO Rookie Draft' held on the 15th, General Manager Kim Tae-ryong told reporters about Kim Yu-seong's nomination, "We do not have an accurate understanding of the player's current situation. We need to meet with the player to understand the situation and consider how to respond. We highly evaluated his skills as immediately effective."