Mexican man who mocked Korean woman with racist gesture at World Cup resigns as association president

A Mexican man who made a slant-eye gesture at a Korean woman during the South Korea-Czech Republic match at the 2026 North and Central American World Cup has resigned as president of a professional association after facing widespread public backlash.

According to Mexican local media and Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, a Korean influencer identified by her surname Yoon visited Guadalajara Stadium on June 11 to cheer for the South Korean national team and posted a video of the stadium interior on her social media.

The footage clearly showed a man seated behind Yoon pulling the corners of his eyes sideways with both hands toward the camera — a gesture widely recognized as a racist mockery of Asian facial features.

As the video spread across social media, it drew criticism from users in South Korea and abroad. Mexican netizens eventually identified the man as Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes, president of the Civil, Topographic, Geomatics and Engineering Association of Jalisco (CITGEJ).

As the controversy grew, Bernal Miramontes posted a video apology on his social media, saying he had hoped foreign visitors to Mexico would feel at home, but that he had done the exact opposite. "I sincerely apologize to the influencer, to the Korean community, and to my fellow Mexicans who were disappointed by my actions," he said.

He also announced his resignation as president of CITGEJ.

"I submitted my resignation on Monday to avoid causing harm to the institution," he said. "This was entirely my personal fault, and I will accept all consequences and responsibility for my actions."

He added that he is looking for a way to contact the Korean influencer directly to offer a personal apology.