"I'm really sorry to get caught up in this. There are a lot of injustices, but I'll do my best to reveal what I can."


Lotte pitcher Song Seung-jun has been under investigation by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Korea Anti-Doping Agency (KADA) since the end of last year for alleging that he received a banned substance from his teammate Lee Rowoon (former Lee Yeo-sang) four years ago.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, which investigated violations of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (manufacturing, distribution, purchase of prohibited substances, etc.), concluded that there was no misconduct by Song Seung-jun, and transferred the relevant contents to KADA.

KADA imposed a

72-game suspension

last week for Song Seung-joon, saying he had received a banned substance from Lee Rowoon and possessed it

.

Song Seung-jun complained of injustice and said he would take legal action.



SBS reporters met Song Seung-jun yesterday (14th) in Yeoju, Gyeonggi-do.

First of all, Song Seung-jun revealed that he received a 72-game suspension from KADA.

After receiving the first notice in April and going through a hearing, the disciplinary action was finalized last week.

According to Song Seung-jun, disciplinary action began on May 25, and he has played 18 matches.



It was first revealed in March that Song Seung-jun was related to banned substances.

A media outlet raised suspicions that an active player had purchased a banned substance from Lee Rowoon, and Song Seung-jun's name began to be mentioned.

Song Seung-jun then issued a statement

saying, 'In March 2017, Lee Rowoon brought a drug and recommended it as a nutritional supplement, but when I inquired with my personal trainer at the time, I found out that it was a prohibited drug.

The next day, he returned the banned substance and rebuked Lee Yeo-sang greatly

.”




Song Seung-jun re-emphasized the contents of the statement and insisted on his innocence.


"The

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety investigated me, but did not find any suspicion of purchase or distribution. All of the doping tests conducted by KADA were also negative. So KADA does not even mention purchasing or taking the

drug

.

However, just because I received the drug, It was unfair to give the highest level of 72-game disciplinary action because there was no evidence that it was 'purchased'. I didn't believe my claim and I couldn't accept the disciplinary action based solely on Lee Rowoon's statement."


In fact, the 72-game suspension issued by KADA to Song Seung-jun is a

'highest level' disciplinary action

. Until now, in the KBO League, disciplinary action for 'taking a prohibited substance' was all based on the results of a doping test, but Choi Kyung-cheol, who was caught taking a banned substance in 2017, was suspended from participation in 72 games. Retirement player A and Song Seung-jun were the first to receive disciplinary action for possession of banned substances, which was handed over to Lee Rowoon like Song Seung-jun in March.

KADA stated that it decided to take disciplinary action on the basis of Articles 2.2 and 2.6 of the regulations, which states that 'Possession is considered an attempt for use'.



Song Seung-jun said, "It is my negligence that I did not report the banned substance to the club and organization immediately after receiving it. I am still reflecting on it. I think," he said, and plans to continue appealing against KADA. Discipline has begun, but an appeal process remains. Even if Song Seung-joon completes the disciplinary action, he plans to restore the honor that was lost through appeal. At the same time, we are determined to take legal action. It is also a position to hold the media accountable for indiscriminately reporting without checking the facts.



Song Seung-jun also added that he does not want his juniors to see the same damage as he did.

He said, "I've talked to younger players, and they don't know that simply possessing is punishable. I think something needs to be changed. I don't want players like me to come out. I think it's something that can happen to anyone. . I hope that there will be no more cases like mine.”




Song Seung-jun, who has been loved as Lotte's 'One Club Man', is scheduled to retire after this season.

He was apologetic for showing his last bad side to the fans who believed in him and supported him.


"I

still regret it very much. And I'm really sorry that I got caught up in something like this. I've been

playing baseball for only 33 years this year, and I feel so upset and hurt so much because the ending seems like this. I will do my best to reveal what I can do. I will do my best in what I am doing right now and contribute to the baseball side of my life.”