“Napoli’s Kim Min-jae in the spotlight for drinking among WBC Korean delegates” Japan Times comparison
Some members of the South Korean baseball team competing in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) were criticized for drinking during the tournament. A Japanese media outlet drew attention to the behavior of South Korean national soccer team defender Kim Min-jae, 27, of Napoli.
On March 30, a YouTube channel sparked controversy in March when it alleged that some pitchers on the WBC team were confirmed to have been in and out of bars in Akasaka, Tokyo, between the night of March 8 and the early hours of March 11.
However, the allegations were soon confirmed. On March 1, three pitchers, Kim Kwang-hyun (35, SSG Landers), Lee Yong-chan (34, NC Dinos), and Jung Chul-won (24, Doosan Bears), bowed their heads and reflected on their behavior.안전놀이터
The Korean baseball team was looking to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in 14 years at the WBC, but fell short in the all-important 7-8 loss to Australia and a 4-13 defeat to arch-rivals Japan, resulting in their third consecutive first-round exit. Along with the team’s performance, fans were even more outraged when it was revealed that some of the main players had been drinking.
On February 2, Japan’s Tokyo Sports cited Korean media and drew attention to the fact that “Korean national soccer team defender Kim Min-jae is in the spotlight as the WBC Korea team is facing a drinking problem at a snack bar in Akasaka, Tokyo, during the tournament.”
In fact, Kim appeared on the tvN entertainment program “Jangsa Genius Baeksa,” which aired on March 21, and visited “Baekbanjip,” a Korean restaurant in Naples owned by Baek Jong-won, Lee Jang-woo, Girls’ Generation’s Yuri, and John Park.
Kim Min-jae’s trainer ordered makgeolli, which is not easily available in Naples, but Kim Min-jae refused and ordered water because it was the season.
“It’s unfortunate that it’s the season and I’m still playing,” he said, “I need to smell it.” He even put his nose close to the bottle of rice wine. “If there was a longer period of time, I would have drunk it,” he said, while checking the game schedule on his phone.
This scene of Kim resisting the urge to drink was directly compared to the behavior of the Korean baseball team during the WBC.
Meanwhile, the KBO does not have a clear policy on the punishment of drinking for national players. However, it does stipulate that they must comprehensively uphold their honor and dignity while representing the country.