A spokesman for the Korean Football Association has exposed the racism that Ki-Sung Yeung faces in Scottish football.
Ki’s ‘monkey-type’ celebration after scoring against Japan at the Asian Cup attracted attention with some claiming that it was derogatory reference to Japan.
The Asian Football Confederation made enquires into the incident but after hearing the Korean view won’t take any action against the Celtic midfielder.
“The treatment he got from the Scottish league, especially in the away games, the people who made noises like the sound of the monkeys in Scotland when he played away games, that is something he wanted to highlight,” a Korea Football Association spokesman told ESPN.
“Even though they call him a monkey as an Asian, he wanted to show how strong they are in Asia. That was the main intention.”
In November St Johnstone issued a statement denouncing supporters who were heard on television making barking noises when Ki was on the ball.
Motherwell fans were also heard chanting ‘Cha Du-Ri ate my dog’ during their home match with Celtic in September.
The Japanese Football Association accepted its Korean counterparts’ explanation of the incident and, like the AFC, has no intention of pursuing the matter further. The AFC also confirmed there has been no contact from FIFA over the issue.
“We are aware of the goal celebration but we don’t think it impacts on any country,” AFC tournament director Tokuaki Suzuki told ESPN.
“The issue, according to my understanding, has already been resolved after communication between the Japan Football Association and the Korea Football Association.
“AFC will not take any legal action in this matter.”
Earlier this season SFA President George Peat condemned members of the Tartan Army for booing the Liechtenstein national anthem before a European Championship qualifier at Hampden.
Whether the increasingly tiresome Peat will deal with the racist abuse of Ki or the chants aimed at Hearts midfielder Rudi Skacel remains to be seen.
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Welcome to life in Scotland as a Celtic player Ki!!! Been happening to the Celts for years and years! Very disturbing!!!
Sorry bhoys, but we are gonna make fools of ourselves if we defend Ki here.
We know we suffer racism in Scotland but he is clearly making an excuse for his own stupidity here, and blaming Scotland is obviously an easy option to keep him out of trouble.
We all know that it is not Asians who get the despicable “Monkey” stuff here, so he has clearly aimed his own racist slur at the Japanese.
False accusations like this only serve to devalue our genuine grievances.
St Johnstone supporters made barking noises at him and Motherwell supporters clearly chanted ‘Ki-Sung ate my dog’.
James have you been smoking the good stuff??? you could clearly hear monkey noises being aimed at Ki away at st johnstone, Rangers have given him abuse as well as Motherwell.
Stupid opinions like yours de-value our cause because you will ignore some things to enhance others.
James is correct, not saying Ki hasn t been racially abused, but you must have a green blindfold if you think what he did was to raise awareness ?? Of his ‘plight’ in Scotland.
Why not mention beforehand or produce the obligatory t shirt message??? Naw son you’ve been caught out and cried wolf, anyone who thinks otherwise is very very naive.
It has been mentioned, and by more than Ki!!
St Johnston made an announcement after the game admiting themselves it had taken place and stating they would be investigating the matter, and fellow countrymann Cha Dhu-Ri stated, at the time, that he had witnessed it, calling it ‘shamefull’ and that he was ‘deeply angered’ by it.
He also said that he had played in Germany and that he ‘had NEVER seen anything like it’.
You can’t beat a good bit of revisionism eh??!!
I see Ged Grebby from the hun invention ‘Show Racism the Red Carpet’ has decided to get involved.
Although the AFC and the Japanese football association are more than happy with the explanation given, somehow Mr Grebby thinks his remit is to stir things up, the fact that it’s a Celtic player that’s involved of course has nothing to do with it.
This is a guy who’s silence has been deafening over issues like the huns Nazi salutes in israel, the racist banners about Naka, the racist chants by the huns against Romanian Gypsies, sectarianism and racism against Artur Boruc including attacks on his family home, institutionalised racism against Aiden McGeady across Scotland, live ammunition and death threats being sent to Neil Lennon and two of his player for no other reason than their race and religion, the repeated criminal act by the huns of singing the billy boys and the famine song, the sectarian singing of the Rangers OFFICIAL party at a close door CL game……….etc……..etc…….
And now all of a sudden this hun apologist comes out of whatever slimey stone he’s been hiding under at the first sign of a bit of scandal involving a Celtic player!!!
Suprise! Suprise! NOT!
Ps. I await the hun apologists coming back with bananas thrown at mark walters almost a quarter of a century ago to show ‘one side’s as bad as the other’, with bated breath!!!
As I said, Ki HAS been racially abused!!! So I don’t need to revise anything!!
It’s the way he’ s supposedly bringing it to light, It doesn’t ‘ring true’ for me, maybe he should get Max to be his publicist,as he’s done a much better job than the Korean spokesperson .
I think Ki has been a bit lucky here. The Korea-Japan rivalry is huge and I think Ki has gotten caught up in the occasion.
There is no doubt both he and Cha have been racially abused at some grounds in Scotland but it’s very generous to suggest the timing of his reply and the opposition were coincidence. I know some Koreans who felt embarrased be the celebration.
I don’t want to fuel the fire of any hun apologists’ argument, but why not against St. Johnstone, whose fans are among the worst culprits, when both Cha and Ki scored?
That said, I believe he will have learned a valuable lesson about every move being scrutinized when you play for Celtic. I hope when he gets back he gets nothing but support from the Celtic community and the media who have picked up this are equally quick to pick up on further racism.
It was brought to light AT THE TIME.
Ki spoke of it AT THE TIME.
Cha spoke of it AT THE TIME
St Johnstone acknowledged it AT THE TIME.
So what’s your point Wb?
Maybe you can recall what kind of media coverage it got AT THE TIME!
I think peoples knowledge of the incident answers that.