I’ve been waiting for this. Here’s an editorial from a Korean reporter for OSNews, upset at the recent rash (well, two) of foreigners running onto the field at Korean pro baseball games. Korea Beat has the translation.

Let me say up front I don’t approve of spectators running onto the field at baseball games. You catch them, with force if needed, you throw them out of the stadium and arrest them if you can. In other words, you make their life difficult. You make people think twice about doing it again.

Of course, in Korea, this sort of situation takes on a slightly different tone. Here we go:

I want to ask them. I want to know if they can do that in America, too. America’s a democracy, so they have pretty strong rights in public. They have the unwritten rule, “don’t antagonize the police”. With the high possibility of a heavy punishment, ordinary US citizens avoid committing any breaches of public order in baseball stadiums and other public places. They know that a severe punishment from the police would follow.

Right. This is essentially true, although people still run onto the field at American sporting events. Personally I feel like I see this happening in Canada even more than America. I would also guess it happens more during European soccer than anywhere either Canada or America. I would guess that. I won’t write an editorial about it.

In major league baseball stadiums the ones showing off their power are the security guards and police. They protect the safety and public order of the stadium. Normally they are kind to the fans and ensure order, and if some problem arises in the stadium they go to it and direct the traffic. Spectators who cause trouble are taken from their seats and strictly punished.

Bingo. This isn’t the case in Korea where 90% of the seating is general admission and you can bring glass bottles into the park. You can also smoke anywhere (keep that in mind when this reporter starts throwing the word “family” around) and security guards don’t line the aisles. These are some of the great things about Korean baseball. By in large, the fans people remain civil. This is the main reason I would call upon the foreigners of Korea to stop doing this.

But recently in Korean baseball stadiums, with foreign spectators increasing in number, there have been a rash of trespasses onto the field. Drunken young foreign spectators rush onto the field with the game in progress, proudly creating a spectacle. The security guards restrain them and escort them out, but there are no reports of them being legally punished.

Here’s the first hint something is amidst. Foreign spectators aren’t increasing in number. This reporter is assuming that because foreigners in Korea are increasing in number, that the number of spectators is. I can’t say this is true at all. Neither can he because the KBO doesn’t keep such statistics. To align the increase of foreign spectators (undefined) with drunken on field incidents (two) is a stretch.

I don’t know for certain, but I’m guessing these guys are politely escorted out, just as they are politely apprehended. A good solution to this might be to fine them or put them in jail for a night. Of course, if you do that, and you call yourself a democratic society, you have to do it for everyone. Not just foreigners. My advice to the KBO: don’t consult this reporter from OSNews when you consider making this rule.

There are various ill effects from the trespasses of these baseball fans, who seem to be mostly American. They could even lay the foundations for racial dispute. Baseball fans and authorities in many places think, “isn’t the problem that they look down on Korea?”

Uh-oh. Mostly American, eh? So that would be one of two? Or is it 100% American (2 of 2). Hmm. Actually, if you look in the comments section of the first set of foreigner on field photos you’ll gather he’s Canadian.

I’m not sure what the “foundations of a racial dispute” would be other than reporters for small time Korean news outlets that don’t like Americans.

But the question exists: are these guys looking down on Korea in doing this? Hard to say. Would they do it at home? Would we say they were looking down on Japan if they did it there? What about during a game in the Netherlands?

The problem with this reporter’s argument is that he’s narrowing his view to two foreigners. The problem here is people running onto the field during baseball games. Not foreigners or Americans. If Koreans are copying the foreign spectators then that’s a problem. But I don’t think that’s necessarily the case.

Also, there are linked actions to some of the Korean fans who were quiet during the trespasses of the foreign spectators. In the early days of professional baseball drunken fans often ran onto the field. But now that going to the ballgame is a family affair, foul behavior from spectators has largely disappeared. Even so, this year, with baseball fever running high, foreign spectators have begun to run onto the field and Korean fans are even supporting them.

I think he’s right about this. Baseball games in Korea used to be pretty wild. There were sometimes fights between fans of rival provinces (I have a story on this coming soon), and it wasn’t anything you wanted to take your kid to. It is now and the author makes a good point about not wanting drunk fans on the field.

On April 19th at the Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, during a game between Doosan and SK, one drunken foreign man ran onto the field, and was apprehended by a guard while making himself at home between the bases. During a game on the 10th in Daejeon, a foreign man was apprehended after running onto the field and sliding into home plate.

Starting with foreigners running onto the field, now Korean fans are doing it too. On the 11th, with capacity crowds in Jamsil (Doosan–Lotte) and Daegu (Hanwha–LG), spectators ran onto the field at the same time. Then on April 29th, at Sajik Stadium, in a game between Lotte and LG, two dead-drunk fans jumped over the outfield fence and onto the field. One of them hurt his leg and was carried off on a stretcher.

So you’re saying the two Koreans on April 29th were inspired by the one foreigner running onto the field? And then the guys on May 11th were inspired by the foreigner on the 10th? Or were the guys on the 11th inspired by both?

Here’s where the wheels fall off the wagon and the reporter reveals himself as anti-foreigner rather than anti-fan on field. Show me the correlation. Show me some statistics. Right, there are none. I was personally witness to two Korean fans running onto the field — last year. Were they retroactively inspired by these foreigners?

There must be strong policies put in place against foreign spectators who run onto the field, agitating not only Korean spectators but also families who’ve gone to watch the game. Active, fair, strong policies are needed such as creating a blacklist that would bar them from entry to baseball stadiums. There is no way that these one-time happenings should ruin things for the athletes and the children — the future fans of baseball.

Nice idea. A blacklist. Just have a separate line for foreigners and run them through extensive background checks. Pull them inside, sit them down, check their alien ID cards, run fingerprints. Just let me know, so I can take some photos and put them on this site.

I have a better idea. Increase the punishments for ALL fans who run onto the field at Korean baseball games. Fine them 500,000 won ($500) and have them spend a night in jail. Word will get out and people will stop.

In recent years many more foreign fans have been coming out to baseball stadiums across the country on the weekend. Not a few of them have been the kind of person to get drunk and run onto the field and act like idiots, shouting at the top of their lungs. With strong punishments in place the baseball park can be a safe and fun place for families on the weekend.

Obviously this reporter is an idiot and most likely a racist. No one should be too offended at what he’s writing as his arguments are somewhat comical. I think the onus is on the foreign community in Korea to clean it’s act up and not do this anymore.