"Tibolo United Juvenile Detention Center Kids Proud"

Huh Koo-yeon Baseball Commentator
Donates T-ball Sets to Juvenile Detention Centers Nationwide
Receives Thank-You Letters from Incarcerated Students
"Hope They Learn Teamwork Through Sports..."

On January 5th, during the T-ball set donation ceremony, baseball commentator Heo Gu-yeon is taking a photo with Park Beom-gye, Minister of Justice.
[Photo by Ministry of Justice]

Commentator Heo Gu-yeon
Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] "I felt a bit touched while reading the letter."

Baseball commentator Heo Gu-yeon recently received four handwritten letters from the Minister of Justice. The senders were students serving time at Seoul Juvenile Detention Center (Gobong Middle and High School). All four students began their letters with "To Commentator Heo Gu-yeon" and carefully filled each square with messages of gratitude. The students wrote, "Thanks to the T-ball set you gave us, we started the new year wonderfully," and "We won the tournament held within the detention center. We all feel proud of achieving something together. Thank you for letting us feel such good emotions after a long time." On the 4th, Heo told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "I felt proud thinking, 'Ah, these kids really like T-ball,'" and smiled.

These days, kids in juvenile detention centers nationwide are deeply immersed in T-ball. Seoul Juvenile Detention Center held a class competition using T-ball, awarding the winning class with a precious 'Kaguri (Curry Neoguri)' ramen prize. At Anyang Juvenile Detention Center, where female students are serving time, the kids also enjoy T-ball during exercise time. All thanks to Heo’s donation. On January 5th, he held a donation ceremony with the Ministry of Justice and donated 10 T-ball sets to 10 juvenile detention centers nationwide (Seoul, Anyang, Busan, Daegu, Jeonju, Gwangju, Cheongju, Daejeon, Chuncheon, Jeju). This is his second donation since 2014. All sets were purchased with Heo’s personal funds. Each set cost 1.43 million KRW, a considerable amount, but Heo willingly opened his wallet. T-ball is a ‘new sport’ modified from the baseball we commonly watch and enjoy. The rules are mostly the same as baseball, but the key difference is that there is no pitcher. Each team’s 10 players take turns hitting a ball placed on a T-shaped stand called a ‘batting tee’ with a bat, then run bases 1 to 3 and return home to score. Another unique feature is that every team member gets a chance to bat without anyone being left out.

Heo is confident that T-ball is exactly what kids in juvenile detention centers need. He said, "Having taught baseball to children from multicultural families, I witnessed firsthand how kids who didn’t follow rules well changed within a few months. I thought sports would also be necessary for juvenile detention centers." He added, "T-ball is easy for anyone?regardless of age or gender?to enjoy, and it prohibits stealing bases and sliding, so the risk of injury is minimal. There isn’t much we can do for kids confined in limited spaces, but sports can fulfill that role."

Heo’s story has recently gained more attention as the Netflix drama ‘Juvenile Justice’ became a hot topic. The drama raises awareness about the issues surrounding juvenile offenders under the age of 14 and increases interest in kids in juvenile detention centers. While voices calling for the abolition or lowering of the age of criminal responsibility are growing, public attitudes toward these children remain cold. The drama’s protagonist, Judge Shim Eun-seok of the District Court Juvenile Division (played by Kim Hye-soo), looks at the kids with cold eyes and says, "I hate you. You just can’t be rehabilitated," reflecting this harsh perspective.

Heo said, "These days, there are very few educational opportunities where kids can learn fair play, teamwork, and a spirit of sacrifice. It would be wonderful if sports could help address this."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.