Son Heung-min breaks silence on Bentancur's Koreans 'look the same' comment

Son Heung-min said Thursday that he has spoken to teammate Rodrigo Bentancur and accepted his apology after the Uruguayan midfielder said on television that all Koreans “look the same.”

Tottenham Hotspur's Timo Werner, left, celebrates with Rodrigo Bentancur, center, and Son Heung-min on March 10. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Son Heung-min said Thursday that he has spoken to teammate Rodrigo Bentancur and accepted his apology after the Uruguayan midfielder said on television that all Koreans “look the same.”

“I’ve spoken with Lolo,” Son wrote in an Instagram story Thursday, referring to Bentancur by his nickname. “He made a mistake, he knows this and has apologised.

“Lolo would not mean to ever 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 pre season to fight for our club as one.”

A statement posted on Son Heung-min's Instagram account [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Son's comments were also posted on the official Tottenham Hotspur Instagram account, along with a statement from the club saying that it will provide "further education for all players in line with our diversity, equality and inclusion objectives."

The response from Son, who captains Tottenham where he plays in the midfield alongside Bentancur, came a week after Bentancur made the comment, which he later justified as a “very bad joke.”

While appearing on Uruguayan show "Por La Camiseta," Bentancur was asked by host Rafa Cotelo for a Spurs shirt.

"Sonny's?," Bentancur said. "It could be Sonny’s cousin too...they all look the same."

The clip, which was posted online, drew widespread condemnation.

Bentancur posted an apology in an Instagram story on June 15.

“Sony brother! I apologise to you for what happened, it was just a very bad joke!” Bentancur wrote. “You know I love you and I would never disrespect you or hurt you or anyone else! I love you brother!”

The idea that all Asians or all Koreans look the same is a common racist stereotype that has been directed at Korean celebrities and in particular K-pop stars in the past.

Son has regularly been the victim of racism from opposing fans while playing in the Premier League.

During a Spurs game against West Ham last February, multiple tweets from self-proclaimed West Ham fans calling Son a “dog eating [expletive]” were posted shortly after Son scored a goal in the 72nd minute. Tottenham and England’s Football Association called on social media companies and authorities to take action against the "utterly reprehensible online racist abuse," though it is unclear if any individual faced punishment.

And footage of a Spurs game against Crystal Palace last May showed a fan in the away end of the stadium making a racist gesture aimed at Son, who appeared to see it while walking toward the touchline. Crystal Palace handed that fan, a 44-year-old man, a three-year ban last November.

Other Korean football players in Europe have also faced racist abuse abroad, including Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-chan. Wolves filed a formal complaint to UEFA after a player, believed to be Hwang, was the target of racist abuse during a friendly against Portuguese side Farense — fans made racist gestures toward the striker as he prepared to take a penalty. That incident came nearly a year after Hwang's introduction at Wolves on the sidelines of a game against Manchester United in 2021 was clouded by United fans singing an offensive chant that referenced Koreans eating dog meat.

And a Serbian TV pundit last November appeared to call Red Star Belgrade midfielder Hwang In-beom North Korean leader "Kim Jong-un" during a live broadcast of a UEFA Champions League match — which Serbian football fans characterized as a small gaffe instead of an offensive remark.

Bentancur, along with the rest of the Tottenham Hotspur squad, is due to fly to Korea over the summer to take part in the Coupang Play Series in Seoul.

BY JIM BULLEY AND MARY YANG [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]