A Mexican man has apologised after being caught on video making a racist gesture at a Korean fan during a World Cup match. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
The incident happened during a match between South Korea and the Czech Republic. In the video, Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes, a Mexican man seated behind a South Korean content creator, is seen pulling the corners of his eyes and laughing. The pose is considered disrespectful to East Asians.
South Korean content creator Yoon Su-jin posted the video on Instagram with the caption: "You traveled across the world for the World Cup… and experienced racism..." The clip drew 65,000 comments and was shared or reposted at least 120,000 times.
Many comments from people claiming to be Mexican apologised for Bernal's actions, saying he "doesn't represent all Mexicans". Bernal was later removed from his position as president of the College of Geomatics and Topographic Surveying Engineers of Jalisco (CITGEJ).
In a public apology posted on Sunday, Bernal wrote: "I sincerely regret everything this situation has caused. I have taken time to reflect on what happened and I understand the responsibility I have in this moment." He added that he did not wish to "justify [himself] nor debate different interpretations".