The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has handed out monster suspensions to four baseball pros caught gambling illegally while on camp in Taiwan.
The KBO has suspended the South Korean players, who all belong to the Lotte Giants franchise, for 30 to 50 games, according to its post on X:
According to reports, the globetrotting Giants were caught on surveillance cameras placing bets at a venue hosting “computer terminals and slot machines during a preseason training camp in Taiwan.”
Footage of Kim Dong-hyuk, Ko Seung-min, Na Seung-yeop, and Kim Se-min’s gambling spree, including allegations of sexual harassment of a female employee, found its way onto social media, leading to fan outrage.
Reports state Kim was photographed with a voucher he won for a new iPhone 16 handset, which retails for approximately $700. Under Taiwan’s gambling laws, single prizes must not exceed $63 in value.
The KBO’s disciplinary arm hit Kim with the 50 game fine for visiting the venue three times. Ko, Na, and Kim Se-min got 30-game bans. Local media cited a South Korean baseball insider as stating the KBO dished out “a fairly strong punishment,” while expressing hope that the Taiwan incident “will motivate baseball players to abandon gambling once and for all.”
accused the four Giants of “disrespect”
The KBO said the suspended pros had violated a rule prohibiting gambling and “conduct that damages the dignity of KBO teams.” Hardliners have accused the four Giants of “disrespect” over not heeding the KBO’s prior warnings of gambling while on tour.
Reports suggest that the Giants, the KBO, or the police may take further disciplinary action against the quartet.
