'Asian Games Gold Medalist' Um Ji-sung Suffers Racial Abuse; Match Halted and Police Investigate

National team forward Um Ji-sung (24, Swansea City), a key player in winning the Asian Games men's football gold medal, suffered racial abuse during an English professional football match, causing the game to be temporarily halted while local police launched an investigation.

Swansea announced on its official website after the 2026-2027 EFL Championship (second tier) away match against Millwall held at The Den in London, England, today (October 14, KST), "An allegation was made that there was racist abuse directed at Um Ji-sung during the second half of today's match."

The club added, "The club condemns all forms of discrimination, and we want to make it clear that there is no place for such behavior in football or anywhere in our society."

Millwall also stated through its official club channels, "We are aware of this incident and operate a zero-tolerance policy toward any form of discriminatory behavior. We will take the strongest possible action against anyone found responsible for such behavior."

Additionally, the club reported that a police investigation into the incident is underway.

The referee halted the match in the 22nd minute of the second half with both teams tied at 0-0.

This occurred while Um Ji-sung, who was included on Swansea's substitute bench, was warming up near the touchline with his teammates.

The referee approached the fourth official to be briefed on the situation and subsequently spoke with the managers of both teams.

According to British media outlets including the BBC, allegations were raised that racist chants were uttered, and an announcement was made over the stadium PA system that police were using closed-circuit television (CCTV) to identify those involved.

A reporting guide message stating, "Do not hesitate if you hear hate speech," was also displayed on the stadium's electronic scoreboard.

The match resumed in the 28th minute of the second half, about six minutes after being halted.

After the match, Swansea manager Vítor Matos explained that the reason for the match suspension was due to a racist act directed at Um Ji-sung.

Manager Matos expressed support for Um Ji-sung, stating, "We all know that this kind of thing is unacceptable. These situations must not happen," and adding, "We will stand by our player and be with him."

Um Ji-sung did not play in this match.

Swansea won 1-0, accumulating 23 points (7 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss) to maintain the top spot in the league.

Um Ji-sung recorded 4 goals and 4 assists, including the winning goal in the final against Japan (1-0 win) at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games that concluded earlier this month, leading South Korea to its fourth consecutive gold medal in the tournament.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.