Lee Kang-in Scores Debut Goal as 'Slant-Eye' Gesture Sparks Outrage... Professor Seo Kyungduk Demands Apology for Racism

Unexpected Act During Atletico Madrid Debut Match

Similar Incident at North and Central America World Cup... Perpetrator Issues Apology

Professor Seo Kyungduk of Sungshin Women’s University officially demanded an apology from a foreign YouTuber who made a 'slant-eye' gesture on the day Lee Kang-in scored a debut goal during his first match with Atletico Madrid (ATM) on August 20.

On August 23, Professor Seo began a post on Facebook, stating, “On August 20, Lee Kang-in made headlines by scoring a debut goal against Malaga in the opening match of the 2026–2027 Spanish La Liga season.” He continued, “Lee Kang-in was named the official Man of the Match (MOM) for his outstanding performance, and the Spanish media praised him highly. However, he became the target of a shocking act of racial discrimination, which has led to controversy online.”

Screenshot of Professor Seokyungduk from Sungshin Women's University on Facebook

Professor Seo explained, “Immediately after Lee Kang-in scored, during a live YouTube broadcast of Atletico Madrid fans reacting to the match, one participant celebrated the goal by using both index fingers to pull back his eyes in a 'slant-eye' gesture. This motion, performed with the fingers, has long been pointed out as a typical act of racial discrimination targeting Asians and is widely condemned as such.”

Professor Seo went on to introduce similar examples of racial discrimination. He said, “During the first round qualifying match between South Korea and Czechia at the North and Central America World Cup, it became public knowledge that a Korean YouTuber was subjected to racial discrimination by Mexican football fans, leading to controversy. Additionally, after the round of 32 match between Brazil and Japan, a Brazilian influencer drew heavy criticism for posting a video on his social media in which he and his colleagues made the slant-eye gesture.”

Facebook capture of Professor Seokyungdeok

Concluding, Professor Seo stressed, “The YouTuber in question must make a public apology. Furthermore, the football club should make even greater efforts to prevent such incidents from recurring.”

On August 20, Lee Kang-in scored the opening and winning goal in the 70th minute of the match held at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, leading ATM to a 2-0 victory. Just last month, Lee transferred from Paris Saint-Germain to ATM for a transfer fee of 40 million euros (about 66.5 billion won).

Meanwhile, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) issued a statement on June 12 regarding the incident of racial discrimination that took place at the first qualifying match between South Korea and Czechia at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, announcing that the offender’s ticket account had been suspended.

Kyungduck Seo, Professor at Sungshin Women's University. Photo by Yonhap News

The victim was a Korean YouTuber named Inonyang, who has 6.6 million subscribers and revealed the experience of racial discrimination on his Instagram. In the video shared by Inonyang, a Mexican man can be seen pulling back his eyes with both hands toward the camera. As the footage spread, there was a wave of criticism both at home and abroad, prompting an immediate response from FIFA. In its statement, FIFA said, “The person responsible for the act of discrimination during the Korea vs. Czechia match has been identified, and his ticketing account has been suspended.” FIFA further emphasized, “All forms of racism, hate, and discrimination are strictly condemned. Such behavior has no place in football, the World Cup, nor anywhere in society.” Subsequently, Inonyang was officially invited to the Korea-Mexico match that followed.

The perpetrator was identified as Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes, president of the Civil, Geodetic, Geometric, and Engineering Association (CITGEJ) of Jalisco, Mexico. Amid growing controversy, he resigned from his post. Miramontes later posted an apology video on Instagram, stating, “I had hoped that foreigners visiting Mexico would feel at home, but I did the exact opposite.” He added, “I sincerely apologize to the influencer affected, to the Korean community, and to my fellow Mexicans who were disappointed by my actions.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.