KBS YouTube Comparing Kia Tigers to 'North Korean Army' in "6·25 Battle" Video, Edits and Apologizes

"As Public Broadcasters' Production Team, We Failed to Reflect Deeply"

KBS's YouTube channel faced criticism after comparing the professional baseball team Kia Tigers to the North Korean army, and subsequently issued an apology.

The production team of KBS Sports' YouTube channel 'Yagu Japsseol' apologized on the 3rd via the YouTube community regarding the video that was criticized for likening the Kia Tigers to the North Korean army. They stated, "We fully understand that many people felt this was a form of 'regional disparagement and hatred' due to inappropriate comparisons and examples, and we deeply reflect on this." They added, "Although it was not our intention, as a public broadcaster's production team, we sincerely apologize for not being more thoughtful and for distributing uncomfortable content."

They continued, "Under pressure to create more entertaining and 'YouTube-like' content, we used exaggerated expressions beyond reality. Instead of calling the 13-point comeback, rarely seen in the KBO League, an 'amazing performance,' we used the term 'Jeongbyeong League,' which is frequently used in baseball communities," acknowledging, "We caused discomfort to baseball fans."

Video posted on the 1st on the YouTube channel 'Yagu Japsseol'. [Image source=Yonhap News, online community]

The issue arose from a video covering the game between the Kia Tigers and the Lotte Giants on the 25th of last month. At that time, the Kia Tigers led significantly 14 to 1 by the top of the 4th inning but allowed a comeback, resulting in a 15 to 15 tie.

One of the cast members remarked, "This reminds me of the Korean War," and an image was inserted on screen showing a map of the Korean War with the Kia Tigers' logo replacing the North Korean army and the Lotte Giants' logo replacing the South Korean army. This appeared to be an analogy to the North Korean army's advance to the Nakdong River defense line during the Korean War, followed by a reversal of the situation and retreat.

Moreover, the video was criticized for referring to domestic professional baseball as the "Jeongbyeong League." 'Jeongbyeong' is a term used in online communities to disparage mental illness.

Following the controversy, 'Yagu Japsseol' edited the original video and re-uploaded it the day before, with the problematic content removed.

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