Former Dinos coach accused of assault gets 100-game suspension

Former NC Dinos fielding coach Han Kyu-sik, who was taken into police custody after allegedly beating up a fellow Dinos coach earlier this month, has been suspended for 100 games by the Korea Baseball Organization.

The suspension will take effect if Han, who was fired by the Dinos on May 3, ever signs with another team.

Han was taken into police custody on charges of assaulting fellow coach Yong Duk-han in an altercation that allegedly took place in a bar in Daegu while the Dinos were on the road taking on the Samsung Lions on May 3. Han was immediately fired by the club, while Yong was removed from the active roster but remains employed.

The details of the incident have never been made entirely clear, but the alleged assault was significant enough that Yong had to be treated at a nearby hospital.

This is the second time in as many seasons that the league has had to take disciplinary action against an individual associated with the Dinos. Last year, four NC Dinos players — outfielders Kwon Hui-dong and Lee Myung-ki and infielders Park Min-woo and Park Sok-min — were suspended after breaking Covid-19 quarantine rules and triggering an outbreak that forced the KBO to cancel a week of games in the middle of the 2021 season.

The series of scandals appears to have impacted the team's performance on the field. The Dinos, who won both the pennant and championship titles two seasons ago, are tied for last place in the KBO with 12 wins and 26 losses as of press time Tuesday.

As the team's poor performance continues and the scandals grow, the Dinos last week fired manager Lee Dong-wook — the man responsible for that historic 2020 season — temporarily replacing him with bench coach Kang In-kwon.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]