A Mexican football supporter has publicly apologised and resigned from his job after being filmed making a racist gesture towards a popular South Korean social media influencer during a World Cup match. The fan, Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes, was captured on camera pulling the corners of his eyes behind Yoon Su-jin, known online as Ino Cat, while she was filming in the stands. The gesture is widely regarded as deeply offensive towards people from East Asian countries.
Footage Sparks Outrage
Yoon Su-jin shared the footage on Instagram with the caption: 'You travelled across the world for the World Cup... And experienced racism...' The video rapidly circulated on social media, attracting more than 65,000 comments and countless shares. Many Mexicans expressed outrage at Miramontes' behaviour, with one user writing: 'Please don't judge Mexico by the actions of one person. He doesn't represent who we truly are. Most Mexicans are kind, warm, welcoming, and genuinely happy to share our country with others. I'm very sorry you had that experience, and on behalf of the people who strive to show the best of Mexico, I sincerely apologise.' Another commented: 'Apologies for the drunk guy, as you've realised Mexicans in general we're not like that. Mexico is your home, enjoy your stay, you're always welcome!'
Public Apology and Resignation
The controversy continued to escalate throughout the weekend, prompting Miramontes to release a public statement addressing the incident and confirming his resignation from his position at the College of Geomatics and Topographic Surveying Engineers of Jalisco (CITGEJ). He said: 'Whenever a foreigner visits Mexico, we want them to feel at home, and what happened was the complete opposite. This is why I am making this video - to issue a public apology to Ino Cat, the Korean girl who was affected by an inappropriate gesture a few days ago during the South Korea match in Guadalajara. I'd like to extend my apology to the Korean community, the foreign community and all Mexicans who felt they were not being represented in the right way by this act.'
He added: 'From the bottom of my heart, I want to express my regret, and it's important to recognise when we're in the wrong. This morning, I also resigned from my role at CITGEJ following the uproar, because I want to separate the institution from the controversy. This is something personal, and I will hold my hands up to the consequences, as I should. I've contacted Ino Cat to try to see her and apologise in person, as it should be done. This situation has hurt me a lot, and I know it affected many people. But I want to say from my heart that I regret my actions, and I will never do anything like this again. Many thanks.'
Debate on Racism in Football
The incident has sparked fresh debate surrounding racism in football and whether sufficient action is being taken to combat discriminatory behaviour at major international tournaments. FIFA's anti-discrimination regulations permit sanctions to be imposed against supporters, teams and national federations, though no action relating to this incident had been announced at the time of writing. South Korea return to action in the early hours of Friday, when they take on Mexico at the same venue - the Guadalajara Stadium.
