The KBO decided to terminate the contract with referee Lee Min-ho (right), who caused controversy with inappropriate remarks.
Umpire Lee Min-ho takes off his clothes after trying to cover up a strike call made by the Automatic Pitching System (ABS) incorrectly.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced on the 19th, “We have decided to terminate the contract with referee Lee Min-ho, who undermined the fairness of the league through mistakes and inappropriate words and actions related to ABS decisions.”
In the case of referees Seung-Hoon Moon and Pyeong-Ho Choo, they are subject to 3 months of unpaid suspension, which is the maximum under the regulations.
Previously, in the game between NC Dinos and Samsung Lions on the 14th, a misjudgment related to ABS occurred. The second pitch that NC pitcher Lee Jae-hak threw against Samsung Lee Jae-hyeon was ruled a strike in the ABS zone, but referee Seung-hoon Moon, who was the referee, did not call a strike, so it was counted as a ball.
After Lee Jae-hak threw three more balls, NC coach Kang In-kwon, who belatedly recognized the fact, appealed, but the referee did not accept it, saying the 'statute of limitations for appeal' had expired.
According to the KBO, Lee Jae-hak's second pitch was a strike, and the audio signal sent to the referee was also normal as a 'strike'. However, umpire Seung-Hoon Moon misheard the call as a ball, and 3rd base umpire Pyeong-Ho Choo, who was supposed to make a 'double check', did not hear the call properly due to noise.
The reason the controversy grew bigger during this process was because of the conversation between the referees. First base umpire Lee Min-ho, who was the head of the umpires, called the other umpires together and said, “Listen that the voice clearly recognized it as a ball.” We'll get out... That's all there is. “If you don’t want us to break up, you have to do that first.” This voice was captured in the broadcaster's microphone and transmitted live. Afterwards, the KBO considered the matter to be serious and held a personnel committee, not a disciplinary committee, to deliberate on the matter. Accordingly, it was decided to terminate the contract with referee Lee Min-ho, who made the problematic remarks. In the case of referees Seung-Hoon Moon and Pyeong-Ho Choo, they are subject to 3 months of unpaid suspension, which is the maximum under the regulations. In the case of referee Seung-Hoon Moon, who was the referee, it was decided to take additional personnel action once his suspension ends. 스포츠토토