Ulsan Hyundai, the leader of the K-League 1 in professional football, was embroiled in a controversy over racism among its players.
Ulsan won 5-1 in the Hana One Q K League 1 2023 round 18 home game against Jeju United held at Ulsan Munsu Soccer Stadium on the 10th. With 44 points (14 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses), Ulsan is running at the top of the league.스포츠토토
It was the conversation that Ulsan players had on Lee Myung-jae’s social network service (SNS) after the victory that day started the incident.
When Lee Kyu-seong wrote to Lee Myung-jae, who played a big role in the Jeju game, “The Southeast Asian quarter is strong,” Jeong Seung-hyun replied, “It’s amazing,” and Lee Myung-jae replied, “It’s because of you, the Asian quarter.” It appears to be a reference to Lee Myung-jae, who has dark skin, as a player from Southeast Asia.
At the same time, when Park Yong-woo wrote, “Sassalak form is crazy,” the team manager wrote, “Sassalak super tackle.”
[Seoul = Newsis] Myeong-jae Lee from Ulsan. (Photo = Provided by the Professional Football Federation)
Regarding this, some fans criticized that Ulsan players’ mention of sasalak was racist.
It is pointed out that Sasalak was mentioned to make fun of Lee Myung-jae’s dark skin color.
Sasalak is a defender from the Thai national team who played for Jeonbuk Hyundai in 2021.
As the controversy grew, Lee Myung-jae deleted the post.
He apologized, saying, “I apologize to Sasalak, fans, and those around me who may have been hurt by my careless words and actions on social media, referring to my teammate’s playing style and appearance.”
“I will reflect on this incident that occurred due to wrong words and actions called nicknames as a player’s characteristic, and I will be more careful in my words and actions in the future so that it does not recur,” he said. I will tell you the word,” he added.
An official from Ulsan said, “The club is also aware of the seriousness of this situation.”