South Korean national team midfielder Lee Kang In, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France’s Ligue 1, recently became the target of racial abuse at the team’s training facility.
On Sunday, a video surfaced on X, showing players walking by at what appears to be PSG’s training facility. In the video, as Lee Kang In passed, someone could be heard saying, “Let’s go, Chinese” (Allez mon Chinois).
According to the PSG-focused French news site Made in Parisiens, the footage was taken during a fan-accessible training session on Friday. As players greeted fans with high-fives, Lee Kang In was referred to as Chinese as he walked past. Referring to an Asian person as Chinese, regardless of their actual nationality, is considered a form of racial discrimination.
Comments on the video included reactions like “Lee Kang In is Korean, not Chinese” and “It’s shocking to see racial discrimination occurring at a training facility.”
French media also reported the incident as an issue of racial discrimination. The French soccer magazine Onze Mondial stated, “Lee Kang In was subjected to a racially offensive comment from a PSG fan during training,” describing it as horrible behavior that has no place in soccer.
Previously, Son Heung Min (Tottenham Hotspur) also faced racial discrimination. In July, Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur remarked on Uruguayan television, saying, “Son Heung Min and his cousin look exactly the same,” which was criticized as a racist comment suggesting that all East Asians look alike. Bentancur was charged with misconduct by the English Football Association.
In July, Hwang Hee Chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers) encountered racial discrimination from Marco Curto, an opposing player, during a pre-season friendly match against Como 1907 (Italy).
Curto reportedly made a racist remark, telling a teammate, “Ignore him; Hwang Hee Chan thinks he’s Jackie Chan.” Curto was subsequently suspended for 10 games by FIFA.
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