[Sportschosun Reporter Lee Ge-eun] Ino Nyang, a YouTuber with 6.6 million subscribers whose real name is Yoon Soojin, will attend the group-stage match between South Korea and Mexico after receiving an official invitation from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). She had previously been subjected to racial discrimination by a Mexican man while watching the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In a statement on the 17th, FIFA said, "We are pleased that Ino Nyang has accepted the invitation to attend the World Cup group-stage match between South Korea and Mexico in Guadalajara on the 19th." It added, "On the day of the match, which is the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, we will deliver a message of respect and inclusion together with Ino Nyang."
The racist incident involving Ino Nyang took place during the opening Group Stage match between South Korea and the Czech Republic at Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico on the 12th. While filming a selfie video from the stands, a Mexican man seated behind her was captured making a slant-eye gesture with both index fingers. The act is a racist mockery of Asians and is known as a "slant-eye" gesture. Ino Nyang also expressed her discomfort in the video, saying, "Please watch and tell me if I am being too sensitive."
As the video spread, internet users condemned the man in unison, saying he had committed a racist act. Among Mexican users as well, reactions poured in, including "This is shameful" and "We apologize on his behalf." Local media also criticized his behavior, calling it "a shameful act of publicly mocking a female spectator's appearance." Professor Seo Kyung-deok of Sungshin Women's University also demanded a public apology, calling it "a shameful act of publicly mocking a spectator's appearance," and voiced anger over the incident.
The man is the head of a regional trade group in Mexico, and the organization said he would be removed from his post. As the controversy grew, he issued a public apology, saying, "I sincerely regret everything that has happened as a result of this incident."
Ino Nyang also responded to the heartfelt apologies from Mexicans. On the 17th, she wrote on her social media, "Honestly, I was a little scared to sit alone in the Mexico cheering section as a woman. But the people I met there were different from what I expected. They waved the South Korean national flag for me and cheered for Korea with all their heart. It reminded me once again that you cannot judge an entire country by one person's actions."
joyjoy90@sportschosun.com
