A spectator shoves the head of Raoni, the Samsung Lions mascot, sending the character stumbling at a game. [Provided via Threads user 'hzziio']
A spectator shoves the head of Raoni, the Samsung Lions mascot, sending the character stumbling at a game. [Provided via Threads user 'hzziio']

A video showing a spectator violently shoving the head of Raoni, the Samsung Lions mascot, has spread online and sparked widespread outrage — and a man claiming to be the fan's father has posted a public apology.

The footage, which circulated across online communities and social media Friday, was filmed Wednesday at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu during a home game. It shows a male spectator approaching Raoni from behind as the mascot walked through a seating aisle, then forcefully shoving the character's head.

In the video, the impact causes Raoni's costume neck to buckle completely. The person inside the suit can be seen grabbing at the head to keep it from coming off while visibly staggering.

The user who first posted the clip said they had been filming Raoni because the mascot was cute when the incident was inadvertently captured. "After the game, I got a look at the perpetrator's face — it seemed like a student, not an ajeossi," the user wrote, using the Korean term for an older man. "Acting without thinking can lead to something really serious," the user added, expressing anger over the incident.

Witnesses also weighed in, criticizing the response of those nearby. "The teachers weren't even trying to stop it — they were laughing and filming," one wrote. Another said they "couldn't even watch the game properly" because they spent so much time searching for a security guard to report the incident. A third witness said that when spectators pointed out the perpetrator to security staff, the staff member "pretended nothing had happened and looked the other way."

The fan who shoved Raoni was ultimately ejected from the stadium on the orders of security personnel.

As the controversy grew, a user identifying himself as the fan's father posted a direct apology in the video's comment section.

"I am sorry for raising my child poorly," he wrote, adding that he would "make sure this never happens again" through proper education. He said he had apologized to the club's representative and to Raoni immediately after the incident, and added that he had repeated those apologies to the club and Raoni the following day.

"My child is also deeply reflecting on what happened. I will make sure the remorse is sincere," he wrote. "I sincerely apologize to Lions fans and baseball fans. It is my fault for not raising my child properly, and I will ensure this immature, thoughtless behavior never happens again."

Addressing online speculation that a particular Korean-language hagwon was connected to the fan, the father said the school in question was not one his child attended. "He went on his own and the incident happened while he was hanging out with friends," he explained.

However, it has not been confirmed whether the man who posted the apology is in fact the father of the fan who shoved Raoni.

Online commenters called the act dangerous and inexcusable. "One wrong move and the person inside could have had their neck seriously injured," one wrote. Others said the behavior was "completely thoughtless," questioned why anyone would disturb a stationary mascot, and noted that the costume offers no rear visibility, making a shove from behind all the more reckless. Many agreed that basic spectator etiquette must be observed.


betterj@heraldcorp.com