Principal Lee Kyu-yeon (left) and Hong Kyeong-pyo, head of the Gwangju Jeil High School Alumni Association, speak at a press conference at the school in Gwangju on Tuesday. (Yonhap) Gwangju Jeil High School called Tuesday for leniency toward Paichai High School baseball players disciplined for mocking the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement, while urging the high school baseball community to confront how such ridicule was allowed to take place.The statement came a day after Paichai students visited Gwangju to apologize over the incident, which occurred during a June 29 high school baseball game between the two schools.At a press conference Tuesday, Gwangju Jeil officials and alumni representatives said the incident should be an opportunity to remove mockery and disparagement from high school baseball, rather than end simply with punishment.“We hope this will serve as an opportunity to eliminate mockery and disparagement from high school baseball fields, turning them into places of education where players respect one another and uphold fair play,” said principal Lee Kyu-yeon, calling it the school’s final official statement on the matter.“We also ask officials at the Korea Baseball Softball Association to exercise as much administrative leniency as possible so the students can make a fresh start, considering the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation shown yesterday.”The KBSA suspended Paichai players from national tournaments for six months for chanting slogans mocking the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement during the game against Gwangju Jeil. The deadline to file an appeal expires Wednesday, but Paichai has yet to file one.Gwangju Jeil officials, however, directed sharper criticism at some opinion leaders and game officials, saying adults bore greater responsibility for the climate that made the incident possible.“We urge those who project unreasonable political views onto this tragic incident merely to draw attention to themselves and stir social division to stop doing so,” said Hong Kyeong-pyo, head of the Gwangju Jeil alumni association.Hong also said umpires and game officials should have intervened earlier.“Had umpires and officials been more aware of the seriousness of this issue, they would have immediately intervened and taken disciplinary action,” he said. “It appears they lacked that awareness, not only in baseball but across the sports community.”He also criticized Paichai High School’s alumni association for submitting a letter to the KBSA requesting leniency on Friday, before the Paichai students formally apologized to Gwangju Jeil.Gwangju Jeil expressed gratitude to those who had shown concern following the incident and said it would continue to support students who were emotionally affected. The school added that it had held discussions to help students reflect on the meaning of the incident.“Those discussions will continue from time to time,” Lee said. “If individual students are experiencing serious emotional distress, we will provide counseling and other support.”