Ⓒ JoongAng Ilbo / JoongAng Ilbo Japanese version2022.06.29 09:14
Jung Gi-bom (28), who joined the Japanese basketball team after declaring his retirement due to drunk driving, issued an autograph apology to the criticism on the 28th.
Fukushima Firebonds of the Japan Basketball B2 League (2nd division) announced the day before that they had signed a contract with Jung Gibomb. From Yonsei University, Jung Gi-bom played as a guard for the Korean professional basketball team Soul Samsung from 2016 to five seasons, averaging 4.1 points and three assists. But he had declared his retirement in January of this year when he had a drunk driving accident.
Jung Gi-bom was accused of driving a car in Incheon on January 19 while being drunk, and lied to a police officer who was dispatched to the effect that he was not driving. Jung Gi-bom announced his retirement on January 26 after being suspended from 54 games by the professional basketball federation KBL, fined 10 million won (about 1.05 million yen), and disciplined for social service activities. Samsung coach Lee Sang-min also resigned due to poor performance and lack of team management. However, Jung Gi-bom joined the Japanese team for the first time in five months.
As criticism from domestic fans increased, Jung Gi-bom posted his autograph apology on his Instagram on the 28th. Jung Gi-bom said, “I don’t know what to say about my shameful mistakes, and I thought it would be best to just quietly refrain from retiring. I realized that I didn’t regret enough and didn’t apologize. It’s a poor sentence, but I write an apology to convey my heartfelt apology. “
He continued, “I made a mistake that I should never make. I have nothing to say about this. I will live with regret and remorse for the rest of my life. Too much for my Samsung team and KBL. It will leave a big stigma, and it will be painful and embarrassing. ” He was a big senior who gave me. I will live with the feeling of paying back my debt for the rest of my life. “
Jung Gi-bom also said, “The other day, I was given the opportunity to play as a player from the Japan B2 League. My only desire is to continue playing basketball even if I spend time alone in another country, and I feel guilty. I’m afraid that I’m regretful and embarrassed, but I couldn’t see another way and decided to make a choice. I want to live in good faith without forgetting the weight of my mistakes. “
An official of the Korea Basketball Association said, “We have not yet received a request for an international transfer confirmation LOC (Letter of Clearance) from the Japanese team. When the document arrives, we will have to discuss it with KBL and Samsung.”
On the other hand, drunk driving accidents continue in the domestic men’s professional basketball world. On the 28th, Bae Gan-ryul (30) of Wonju DB, who recently had a drunk driving accident, was disciplined by KBL for 54 games, a fine of 10 million won, and 120 hours of social service. He is at the same disciplinary level as Jung Gibomb.
On the 25th, Bae Gan-ryul reported himself to the team after having a drunk driving accident on a road near Jeonju and was investigated by the police. KBL said on this day that he “follows the principle of intolerance to drunk driving, drug taking, match-fixing, violence, etc. We will make further efforts to prevent recurrence by educating athletes and strengthening cooperation with the team.” Revealed.
Bae Gan-rul eventually decided to retire. The DB team announced this afternoon that “Bae Gan-rul informed the team of his intention to retire immediately after KBL’s disciplinary action was decided.” Through the team, Bae Gan-rul said, “I’m really sorry for the controversy as a professional player and the disappointment of basketball fans and the people involved. I deeply regret my mistakes and sincerely implement measures such as KBL sanctions and service activities. “.
Bae Gan-ryul, who made his professional debut at Samsung in 2014, wore a DB uniform in 2020. Forward Bae Gan-ryul, who is 196 cm tall, played in seven games last season, averaging 0.3 points.
In April last year, Samsung’s Kim Jin-young (25) also suffered a drunk driving accident and was disciplined by KBL for 27 games and 54 games for business trips.
Kim Min-goo (retired), who was called “The Second Hur Jae”, was seriously injured in a traffic accident caused by drunk driving while he was elected to represent Korea in June 2014. rice field.
