DistantNews
Support us
🇹🇼 Taiwan /Culture & Society

South Korean Influencer Faces Racial Discrimination at World Cup Match in Mexico; Online Outrage Ensues

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • South Korean influencer 'inoCat' experienced racial discrimination from a Mexican spectator while attending a World Cup match in Mexico.
  • The incident involved the spectator making a discriminatory gesture by pulling at the corners of his eyes, a clear insult towards Asians.
  • The video of the incident went viral, causing outrage and prompting calls for the identified individual to apologize and for FIFA to take preventative measures.

A popular South Korean influencer, known as 'inoCat' on YouTube with 6.6 million subscribers, faced racial discrimination while attending a World Cup group stage match between South Korea and Mexico. The incident occurred as she was taking photos with fans in the stadium.

During the interaction, a man wearing a Mexican jersey made a derogatory gesture by pulling the corners of his eyes, a widely recognized racist insult targeting Asians. The influencer captured this act on video, which she later uploaded, sparking widespread anger online.

The video quickly gained traction, leading to a significant online backlash and calls for the identification and accountability of the individual involved. Mexican media identified the man as Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes, president of the Jalisco Association of Surveying and Geoinformation Engineers (CITGEJ). The association has stated it will conduct an internal investigation.

Professor Seo Kyeong-deok of Sungshin Women's University, a vocal critic of historical and social issues, publicly demanded an apology from Miramontes. He also urged the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to implement measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring in future sporting events.

The man, wearing a Mexican jersey, pulled the corners of his eyes into a squint, a clear act of discrimination against Asians.

— Liberty TimesDescription of the racist gesture made by the Mexican spectator towards the South Korean influencer.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog