Goyang Sono coach Kim Seung-ki has been fined 10 million won ($9,000) for spitting profanity at the Wonju DB coaching staff and employees.
The KBL held its 29th Finance Committee on the 24th at the 텍사스홀덤 KBL Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and imposed a 10 million won sanction on Kim.
After a 91-99 loss to Wonju DB in the ‘2023-24 Jeonggwanjang Professional Basketball League’ at the Goyang Gymnasium on March 19, Kim verbally abused DB’s coaching staff, including head coach Kim Joo-sung, in the hallway of the gym.
During the game, Kim complained that DB head coach Kwon Soon-cheol approached the headquarters seats where the match supervisor and others were sitting and protested the referee’s decision, believing that it changed the flow of the game.
According to the KBL, the 10 million won fine is the highest level of sanction for a coach in the history of professional basketball. The KBL fined then-Incheon Electronic Land (now Daegu Korea Gas Corporation) head coach Choi Hee-am the same amount for protesting a refereeing call at a press conference during the 2008-09 playoffs.
“As the person who has the most responsibility as the head coach of a team, I would like to express my deepest apologies for my shameful behavior,” Kim said on the club’s social media account shortly after the disciplinary announcement, adding, “I would like to bow my head and sincerely apologize to DB, the club officials, and the coaching staff.”
DB Kwon, who visited the headquarters during the game even though he was not a member of the team, such as a manager or coach, was also disciplined with a sanction of 2 million won.