Lee Byung-tae's comments on baseball chant controversy ignite political backlash
DP officials called for vice chairman's resignation after he not only likened Paichai high school's punishment to "North Korea" but then further doubled down on his position.
Lee Byung-tae, vice chairman of the Regulatory Rationalization Committee, right, speaks at the Blue House in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 15.YONHAP
A high school baseball team's chants can even get major government officials fired.
Lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party (DP) are demanding that Lee Byung-tae, vice chairman of the Regulatory Rationalization Committee, resign after he defended the Paichai High School baseball team over its controversial "Starbucks" cheer and likened the latest string of events to North Korea.
The controversy stems from a cheer used by Paichai players during a high school baseball game against a team from Gwangju that referenced Starbucks in a way that was widely interpreted as mocking victims of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. The team was later handed a six-month suspension, which ignited a heated debate over whether the punishment was excessive.
"Vice Chairman Lee Byung-tae should resign immediately,” wrote Choi Min-hee, a DP lawmaker on Facebook on Sunday.
Choi called for Lee's resignation after he refused to back down despite a public warning from the Blue House over remarks in which he said, "The May 18 movement has become a sanctuary” and “This is what North Korea looks like.”
"Because history has been turned into a sanctuary, even what amounts to childish misconduct by students can no longer be tolerated and has become a matter of adults’ politics," Lee wrote on Facebook on Friday.
Student baseball players from Paichai High School are seen during the 81st Blue Dragon Flag National High School Baseball Championship at Mokdong Baseball Stadium in western Seoul on June 29.SCREEN CAPTURE
"What does it say about our society that this is how we respond to students' misconduct during a high school baseball rivalry game? It is no different from North Korea, where people cry over a newspaper carrying a photograph of Kim Il Sung getting wet in the rain."
The Blue House responded on Saturday with a statement issued by senior presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, who called Lee's remarks "inappropriate."
“The comments are susceptible to misunderstanding and run counter to the government's firm stance against hatred and ridicule," Kang said. "They were inappropriate for someone serving in position of major responsibilities at a government-affiliated body. We have issued a stern warning and strongly urged that such remarks not be repeated."
Rep. Choi also criticized Lee in a separate Facebook post, by saying that the May 18 uprising is indeed a "sanctuary of democracy."
Funeral wreaths are placed outside Paichai High School in Gangdong District, eastern Seoul, on July 1.YONHAP
Lee, however, doubled down later the same day.
"If my remarks were inappropriate, people are free to criticize them. That criticism is also protected by freedom of expression," Lee wrote. "But ‘punishing’ someone for what they say amounts to denying a fundamental right."
He also argued that "Even shouting 'Long live Kim Il Sung' in the heart of Seoul should be protected [under free speech].”
Following Lee's refusal to apologize, Rep. Choi strongly condemned the vice chairman, saying he has "no place in the Lee Jae Myung administration."
Lee Byung-tae's criticism did not end there. He has also questioned the government's three “mega projects,” which are investment initiatives centered on semiconductor manufacturing, AI data centers and physical AI infrastructure aimed at boosting regional economic growth.
"There has been no effort to verify whether the projects will actually be carried out or even to determine whether they are feasible," Lee wrote.
President Lee Jae Myung, left, poses with Lee Byung-tae, vice chairman of the Regulatory Rationalization Committee, at the Blue House in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 15.JOINT PRESS CORPS
A former KAIST professor, Lee Byung-tae is a conservative economist who oversaw economic policy for conservative politician Hong Joon-pyo's People Power Party presidential primary campaign last year.
President Lee Jae Myung had tried to recruit him to his presidential campaign last year, but the move fell through after Lee Byung-tae's past remarks sparked controversy within the camp.
In March, however, President Lee Jae Myung appointed Lee Byung-tae as vice chairman of the Regulatory Rationalization Committee — a vice-prime-minister-level post that reviews and eliminates unnecessary regulations, and advises the president on major regulatory reforms— as part of his mission to appoint bipartisan officials to boost efficiency.
The appointment drew criticism from within the ruling camp.
"Former professor Lee [Byung-tae] even described memorials of the Sewol ferry disaster as 'the depraved political games of a corrupt political establishment.' I urge the administration to rescind his appointment," Park Joo-min, a DP lawmaker, said at the time of Lee Byung-tae's appointment.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
