Mexican Man Issues Apology for Racist Gesture at World Cup Match

A Mexican individual has publicly apologized after being filmed making a racially insensitive gesture during a World Cup match between South Korea and the Czech Republic. The incident, which occurred last Friday in Guadalajara, stirred significant outrage online after a South Korean content creator shared the video.

In the clip, Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes was seen seated behind the content creator, Yoon Su-jin, pulling the corners of his eyes in a manner deemed derogatory towards East Asians. His actions elicited strong reactions from viewers, with many Mexican social media users expressing their disapproval and embarrassment over the incident.

Yoon, who is known online as Ino Cat and boasts millions of followers on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, posted the video with the caption, "You traveled across the world for the World Cup… and experienced racism..." The post quickly gained traction, accumulating 65,000 comments and being shared over 120,000 times.

In the wake of the backlash, Bernal was removed from his role as president of the College of Geomatics and Topographic Surveying Engineers of Jalisco (CITGEJ). He issued a public apology on Sunday, acknowledging the widespread circulation of the video and its diverse reactions. "For that reason, I believe it is important to offer a public apology," he stated. "I sincerely regret everything this situation has caused." He emphasized his commitment to treating others with respect and reflecting those values in his actions moving forward.

The match itself ended with South Korea making a comeback to secure a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic, amidst the ongoing festivities of the World Cup.