Lotte Giants players, including key players Na Seung-yeob and Ko Seung-min, have been found to have entered an illegal gambling venue while on a training trip to Tainan, Taiwan. The team confirmed this on the 13th after interviewing the players, clarifying that Na, Ko, and two other teammates visited the prohibited location during a day off from their training. Footage of the players enjoying games at the venue circulated on social media earlier that day, raising concerns about their conduct, especially in a country where gambling is illegal.

The Lotte organization has issued a statement announcing that the four players involved will be sent back to Korea immediately, citing violations of cooperation rules set by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and the club’s internal regulations. The team also indicated that it would report the incident to the KBO Clean Baseball Center and take further actions based on the outcome of the investigation. According to KBO rules, players found to engage in gambling can face bans from playing in a minimum of 30 games or pay heavy fines, which puts the athletes' participation in the upcoming season at risk.

This incident comes at a challenging time for the Lotte Giants, as both Na and Ko are key contributors to the team’s performance. With potential suspensions looming over them, the team might struggle to maintain their competitive edge at the start of the season, especially after experiencing a disappointing finish last year. The club is taking the matter seriously and plans to conduct a thorough investigation and issue warnings to the entire squad to prevent similar issues in the future.