Two pitchers in the nation’s top baseball league have been suspended indefinitely for their alleged roles in match fixing, officials said Monday.

The Korea Baseball Organization said Kim Seong-hyun and Park Hyun-jun, both of the Seoul-based LG Twins, will remain under suspension indefinitely. Kim was recently taken into custody for allegedly taking kickbacks from a gambling broker to issue first-inning walks on purpose.

Park, who was grilled by prosecutors last week for his connection, has partially admitted to his involvement, prosecutors have said. He is not under arrest.

According to KBO officials, Park and Kim will not be permitted to play in exhibition and regular season games. They will also not be paid for the duration of their suspension. The officials added they will hand out the same penalties to KBO players coming under fixing suspicions in the future. If they receive criminal penalties for their charges, then the KBO will convene a disciplinary committee meeting to finalize its punishment.

In a statement, the KBO also apologized to fans over the scandal, the first of its kind to hit the league since its inception in 1982.

“We offer our heartfelt apology for causing baseball fans a major disappointment,” the league said. “We will fully cooperate with related authorities to help them get to the bottom of the case, and will sternly punish all involved individuals.”

The KBO added it will soon discuss measures to prevent further fixing in baseball at its executive committee, made up of team general managers, and its board meeting, which brings together team owners.

The ongoing investigation has dealt a major blow to the KBO, which has enjoyed an unprecedented wave of popularity in recent seasons. The 2012 season starts on April 7. 

(Yonhap News)