KBO excludes players with misconducts from national team selection

Players including Ahn Woo-jin (24, Kiwoom) and Bae Ji-hwan (24, Pittsburgh) will not be able to participate in the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou as the Korea Baseball Organization (KB) has decided not to select players with a history of violence or other misconducts for the national team.

Players who have damaged the reputation of the baseball industry through actions such as violence, sexual assault, or drinking will be excluded from the national team selection process,” said Cho Gye-hyeon, the head of the KBO’s strengthening committee, after a two-hour meeting on Tuesday.

Ahn Woo-jin was already ineligible to participate in the Asian Games, which will be kicked off on Sep. 23, due to a permanent ban from the national team for his involvement in school violence during his high-school years. Bae Ji-hwan has not received such a ban, but he served a 30-game suspension in 2018 for assaulting his girlfriend while playing Major League Baseball. Despite expressing his desire to play for the national team by getting a tattoo of the Korean flag on his arm during the off-season, Bae’s chances of selection for the national team have been blighted by the latest decision by KBO.

Furthermore, Mr. Cho emphasized that his committee will correct the perception that joining the national team is a convenient way for draft dodging, adding that the committee will raise the sense of responsibility and obligation of national team players and change their mindset and behaviors when they wear the Korean flag on their uniform.


Kyu-In Hwang kini@donga.com