[서울신문] Another evil spirit for illegal gambling… Doosan promising, neither pledge nor education was useless

Hyeonwook Jung, sports Toto betting since high school
It was determined that the game was not attempted directly.
Exposing a former player who was released may be threatened with exposure

Kwon Ki-young discovers online casino site activity
In case of one violation of the rules, business trips for more than 50 games are suspended
KBO decides to suspend athlete qualification and review additional disciplinary action

Pro baseball Doosan Bears players’ illegal betting and connection to the speculative website are rising rapidly. The entire professional baseball world, which faced a crisis in the 2012 match-manipulation incident, is tense.

On the 13th, Doosan said, “I requested the Korea Baseball Commission (KBO) to designate Hyun-wook Jung and Ki-young Kwon of the Futures League as suspended players.” It was a problem that Jung Hyun-wook was a sports Toto bet, and Kwon Ki-young accessed an online casino site. On the 14th, Jung Hyun-wook and the club official visited the police station and were investigated.

The incident turned out to be related to Mr. A, who was released from Doosan at the end of 2019 due to privacy issues. Even after the release, Mr. A continued to cause problems, such as a report of’selling baseball equipment and making a fraud’ to the club.

Mr. A continued to ask for money, saying,’I will inform the club of the fact that I played Sports Toto.’ Jeong Hyeon-wook has been playing Toto with soccer since high school. However, the club believes that Jung Hyun-wook did not attempt to manipulate the game directly.

In response to Mr. A’s blackmail, Jung Hyun-wook requested an interview with the club, and the facts of Jung Hyun-wook’s gambling were found. It is illegal for players to gamble according to the National Sports Promotion Act and KBO rules. According to KBO regulations, players who gambling will be penalized for more than 50 matches, a sanction of 5 million won, and 120 hours of volunteer work for one violation. Doosan conducted a survey of the entire squad and also identified Kwon Ki-young’s access to the speculative site.

Both Doosan and KBO couldn’t hide their embarrassment. This is because a problem arose despite thorough training for new players. A Doosan official explained, “Young players are educating with a lot of emphasis on gambling issues.”

Doosan and KBO are in a position to observe the judicial process. A Doosan official said, “The club is preparing to respond by looking at the investigation by the investigation authorities and the results of the KBO’s reward and punishment committee.”

KBO is in a position that it can suspend the qualifications of athletes for Hyeonwook Jung and hold additional discipline by holding a reward and punishment committee while monitoring the progress of judicial procedures. Mr. A is also likely to return to baseball, so KBO can discipline him.

Reporter Ryu Jae-min [email protected]