Banner mocking Incheon hung in FC Seoul supporters' section stirs controversy

A banner with wording that appears to demean the city of Incheon was displayed in FC Seoul's supporters' section during a K League 1 match against Incheon United, stirring controversy.

Incheon Mayor Park Chan-dae called the banner an insult to fans and Incheon residents and vowed a firm response.

The banner appeared in FC Seoul's supporters' section at Seoul World Cup Stadium immediately after the two clubs' match on Saturday. It read: "Jeon Dal-su (su, meaning 'water') + Jo Geon-do (do, meaning 'thief') = Incheon (in-cheon, meaning 'base person, lowly') UTD."

Jeon Dal-su and Jo Geon-do are names that evoke former and current chief executives of Incheon United, respectively. The banner appeared to swap hanja characters in each name — substituting the character for "water" and the character for "thief" — as a satirical jab at a 2024 incident in which Incheon supporters threw water bottles at FC Seoul players, and at allegations that CEO Jo gave himself an unauthorized pay raise.

The banner also sparked a separate controversy over its rendering of "Incheon": instead of the standard hanja meaning "benevolent river," it used characters meaning "base person" and "lowly," widely seen as a deliberate slur against the city.

Mayor Park said Tuesday on his Facebook page that the banner "crossed a line that is hard to even put into words, insulting our fans and the people of Incheon." He said he felt "anger and deep regret" over the act of mockery, both as the club's owner and as mayor of Incheon.

Park warned that he "will not stand idly by" in the face of regional disparagement that undermines the spirit of sport.

He added that "cheering without a minimum of respect cannot be called true support," and said he would "respond resolutely until proper measures are taken to prevent a recurrence and to hold those responsible accountable."

The Incheon chapter of the Democratic Party of Korea also issued a statement Tuesday, saying it would "never take lightly" acts of regional mockery that damage the pride of Incheon residents and Incheon United fans. The party urged FC Seoul and the organizations involved to thoroughly investigate the circumstances and put in place accountability measures and steps to prevent a recurrence.