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KBO suspends four Lotte Giants players for illegal overseas gambling during training camp

Published: 23 Feb. 2026, 19:23

Korean baseball player Kim Dong-hyeok poses with his bat on the training field. [LOTTE GIANTS/YONHAP]

The KBO suspended four players Monday for illegal gambling during their training camp in Taiwan.

The league suspended Lotte Giants outfielder Kim Dong-hyeok for 50 games while handing down 30-game bans on three of his teammates, Go Seung-min, Kim Se-min and Na Seung-yeup.

The four players were found to have visited a casino on Feb. 12 near the team hotel in Tainan, the site of the Giants' spring training. The Giants reported the incident to the KBO two days later.

Upon further investigation, the KBO found that Kim Dong-hyeok had visited the betting house on three separate occasions, leading to his longer suspension, while the three others had entered the place only once.

It is illegal for Korean nationals to gamble overseas, and the four players are currently under police investigation.

The KBO took the unusual step of imposing punishments on the players before the conclusion of the police probe, citing the damage they had caused to the integrity of the league.

The KBO warned it could tack on additional penalties to the players depending on police findings.

The league announced it had warned players on all 10 clubs not to visit casinos or betting houses overseas during spring training.

Yonhap