Four players from the Lotte Giants professional baseball team have been sent home from spring training in Taiwan after being found to have visited an illegal gambling venue, the club announced Wednesday.
Na Seung-yeop, Ko Seung-min, Kim Dong-hyuk, and Kim Se-min were identified as the players involved, after CCTV footage circulated online showing them entering what appeared to be a gaming establishment in Tainan, Taiwan, on their day off, according to a statement released by the Lotte Giants organization.
The club confirmed the players’ visit to the illegal establishment and stated they would be immediately repatriated to Korea. The incident has been reported to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) Clean Baseball Center, with the Lotte Giants promising to accept any disciplinary measures imposed.
“Regardless of the reason, we will immediately order the four players, who engaged in conduct that violates Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) rules and our club regulations, to return home,” the Lotte Giants said in a statement. The club too stated it would conduct a full review and “sternly deal with any additional confirmation” that might emerge.
The incident comes as Korean professional baseball teams increasingly look to Taiwan for spring training. The Lotte Giants moved their camp to Tainan in 2025, drawn by the favorable February temperatures – averaging around 20 degrees Celsius – and limited rainfall. Kiwoom Heroes are also currently holding their spring camp in the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung.
Still, the proximity of these training sites to urban centers and entertainment facilities, including illegal gaming halls, presents a challenge for teams. The Lotte Giants had previously trained in Guam and Australia, but abandoned the Australian camp in the mid-2000s following reports of players’ gambling habits, including one player allegedly losing more than half of his salary.
Similar incidents have plagued Korean baseball in the past. In 2019, four LG Twins players were caught visiting a casino in Sydney, Australia. Ahead of the 2015 Korean Series, four players from the Samsung Lions were implicated in an illegal gambling incident in Macau, leading to their exclusion from the championship series and contributing to a subsequent decline in the team’s performance.
SSG Landers, formerly SK Wyverns, have consistently held their spring training in Vero Beach, Florida, for over two decades, citing the isolated location and dedicated training facilities as key advantages. The club’s continued commitment to Florida appears to be, in part, a response to the risks associated with training in more accessible locations.
The Lotte Giants’ incident is currently under review by the KBO Clean Baseball Center, and the extent of the disciplinary action remains to be seen. The club has not yet announced any further details regarding the investigation.
