Announcer Park Ji-young apologizes for asking Samsung's Koo Ja-wook if he made All-Star team 'on looks alone'

Sports announcer Park Ji-young has apologized for remarks she made during a post-game interview with Samsung Lions outfielder Koo Ja-wook that sparked public backlash.

Park posted a written apology on her social media account Sunday, saying she was "sincerely sorry to fans who felt uncomfortable" over her MVP interview with Koo following last Tuesday's game.

The controversy began Tuesday, when Koo was named MVP after the Samsung Lions' game against the LG Twins. Park used the occasion to ask him about the All-Star fan vote.

She asked Koo about his selection to the All-Star Best 12, suggesting there were people saying he had made the roster "without even a minimum of effort, pushing through on looks alone." The question drew criticism for reducing the player's achievements to his appearance.

Park also mentioned Doosan Bears outfielder Jung Su-bin during the interview, as the two had competed for the same position in the fan vote. That drew a separate round of criticism, with observers calling it inappropriate to bring up a rival player by name in an official post-game interview.

In her apology, Park said she had intended to speak "casually and lightheartedly" about the two players who would be sharing the same position on the All-Star team, but acknowledged that "my clumsy questions and phrasing caused discomfort." She added that her attempt to discuss performance in a fun, joking way also reflected a lack of consideration on her part.

She said that regardless of her intentions, she had shown insufficient consideration for both the players and the fans, and offered "a deep apology" to Koo for agreeing to the interview and to Jung for being mentioned in it.

Park went on to say she was "deeply reflecting on the responsibility and attitude I should have as an interviewer" and pledged to "be more careful and thorough in my preparation, down to every word, so that this does not happen again."