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Park Hang-seo, 67, director of Thai club Kanchanaburi Power, was subjected to a racist taunt by a rival supporter who repeatedly called him "kimchi man," drawing a furious response from the veteran coach.

On Sunday (Korean Standard Time), Park was leaving the stadium in Chonburi after Kanchanaburi drew 2-2 with Pattaya United in a Thai second-division match when a heated confrontation broke out with a spectator.

In a video circulated on social media, a person believed to be a Pattaya supporter can be heard repeatedly shouting "kimchi man — f**king kimchi man" at Park.

Park initially responded by raising a finger to his lips, gesturing for the person to be quiet. When the taunts continued, Park lost composure — mimicking a punching motion before moving toward the stands, shouting and beckoning the person to come down and face him. Club officials and a player stepped in to restrain Park and escort him to the locker room as the situation turned volatile.

The slur, which combines kimchi — a staple of Korean cuisine — with profanity, constitutes a clear act of racial discrimination.

According to Vietnamese and Thai media, Kanchanaburi's Madagascar-born midfielder John Baggio was also targeted with derogatory remarks about his height. Local reports suggest the person who made the remarks is believed to be a Westerner.

After the match, Kanchanaburi issued a statement strongly condemning the racist behavior.

"Regardless of who we are, where we come from, the color of our skin, or what we eat, every person is precious and deserves respect," the club said, adding that it "actively supports the movement against racial discrimination."

This is not the first time Park has been caught up in a racism controversy in Thai football.

A similar incident occurred in 2019, when Park was managing the Vietnam national team and a Thai coaching staff member drew criticism for racially offensive conduct.

After a World Cup qualifying match against Thailand, Thai goalkeeper coach Sasha Todic raised his hand to chest height in front of Park and appeared to mock a physical characteristic in a gesture widely condemned as racist.

The Vietnam Football Federation filed a complaint with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) over the incident. The Football Association of Thailand referred Todic to its disciplinary committee and subsequently dismissed him.


min3654@heraldcorp.com