Commentator compared Austrian defender's block to Chinese martyr shielding gun barrel with his body

Li Yi, a former Chinese national team player, commentates on the 2026 North America World Cup. [Yonhap]
Li Yi, a former Chinese national team player, commentates on the 2026 North America World Cup. [Yonhap]

A Chinese soccer player who became notorious in South Korea for the so-called "Eulyong strike" incident in 2003 was removed from a broadcast during the 2026 World Cup after invoking a Chinese Korean War "hero" during live commentary.

According to Hong Kong's Ming Pao and other local outlets, Li Yi, 47, a former Chinese national team player serving as a commentator on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, was broadcasting the Austria-Jordan match on June 17.

Around the 34th minute of the first half, Li compared an Austrian defender's body block against a Jordanian shot to Huang Jiguang "shielding a gun barrel with his body." Li was removed from the broadcast team after the first half ended.

Huang Jiguang (1931–1952) was a Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldier who fought in the Korean War and was killed in October 1952 during the Battle of Triangle Hill near Cheorwon.

According to Chinese records, Huang used his body to block two American machine guns that were firing on the main Chinese force.

China posthumously awarded Huang the title of "special-class hero." The story of his self-sacrifice was widely promoted by authorities, and he remains one of China's most recognized martyrs.

Ming Pao noted that such comparisons had not been uncommon in Chinese gaming and sports contexts in the past, but that since the Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs took effect in 2018, references to figures such as Huang in live broadcasts have become rare.

However, local media said Li had not been subject to a full broadcast ban.

Some Chinese internet users argued that Li's remark was intended to praise the Austrian player's effort and carried no disrespectful intent. Others questioned online whether the episode amounted to a "literary inquisition" — a term referring to punishment for speech deemed critical of the state.

Li rose to prominence in South Korea after the 2003 East Asian Football Championship, when he kicked South Korean player Lee Eul-yong in the ankle and was then struck on the back of the head by Lee's open palm — an incident that became known as the "Eulyong strike."


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