Son Heung Min stated on Thursday that he has spoken to his teammate Rodrigo Bentancur and accepted his apology after the Uruguayan midfielder commented on television suggesting that all Koreans “look the same.”
Son Heung Min wrote in an Instagram story, referring to Bentancur by his nickname, “I’ve spoken with Lolo. He made a mistake, he knows this, and he has apologized. Lolo would never intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers, and nothing has changed at all. We’re past this, we’re united, and we will be back together in preseason to fight for our club as one.”
SON HEUNG MIN'S IG STORY
Son's comments were also shared on Tottenham Hotspur's official Instagram account, accompanied by a statement from the club indicating that it will provide "further education for all players in line with our diversity, equality, and inclusion objectives."
Son's response came a week after Bentancur's comment, which he later described as a “very bad joke,” during an appearance on the Uruguayan show "Por La Camiseta." When host Rafa Cotelo asked Bentancur for a Spurs shirt, Bentancur replied, "Sonny's? It could be Sonny’s cousin too...they all look the same." The clip, which was posted online, received widespread condemnation.
Bentancur issued an apology in an Instagram story on June 15, writing, "Sonny brother! I apologize to you for what happened; it was just a very bad joke! You know I love you and I would never disrespect or hurt you or anyone else! I love you, brother!"
Son Heung Min has often faced racism from fans of opposing teams. For example, after Son scored in a game against West Ham in February, several West Ham fans posted racially abusive tweets calling Son Heung Min a "dog-eating s***." The English Football Association and Tottenham called for action from social media platforms and authorities to address this serious online racism, though it's not clear if anyone was punished.
In another instance, during a Tottenham match against Crystal Palace last May, video captured a fan making a racist eye gesture towards Son. Crystal Palace responded by banning the fan for three years in November.
Bentancur and the rest of the Tottenham Hotspur squad are scheduled to fly to Korea over the summer to participate in the Coupang Play Series in Seoul.
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''Asians all look the same " is still a very common type of verbal racism that many still think it's ok to say even if they are called out for it.