“How dare they do that to a Korean football gold medalist?” ... Ji-sung Eom hit by racist abuse in unprecedented stoppage in English football’s second tier

[Financial News] He had not even taken part in the match. He had merely been warming up near the touchline to come on as a substitute. Asian Games gold medalist Ji-sung Eom, 24, of Swansea City, was targeted by appalling racist abuse in the UK, prompting the unprecedented suspension of a football match for seven minutes.
Swansea City secured a dramatic 1-0 away win over Millwall in the 2026–27 English Championship, the second tier, at The Den in London on the 14th, Korea time. But the real talking point of the match was not the result; it was a racist incident near the dugouts.
The incident occurred around the 20th minute of the second half. A report came in that racist abuse had been directed at Ji-sung Eom from the stands as he warmed up after being named among the substitutes. Referee Edward Duckworth immediately blew his whistle and took the decisive step of halting the match entirely.

Referee Duckworth ran to the two teams’ dugouts and held an urgent discussion with Swansea manager Vitor Matos, Millwall manager Alex Neil and the fourth official. Stewards were immediately deployed, and the referee was also seen pointing to the stands behind the Swansea dugout. Play was halted for nearly seven minutes, and an announcement over the stadium PA informed spectators that a report of racist abuse had been received and that police were reviewing CCTV footage to identify those involved.
Leading British media outlets also reacted immediately. The BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports and others issued urgent reports, saying, “The match was halted for an extended period over allegations of racist abuse directed at Ji-sung Eom as he prepared to come on as a substitute.”
After the match, Swansea manager Matos expressed anger, saying, “The situation involved Ji-sung Eom. Both the referee and Millwall responded appropriately in accordance with the established procedures,” and adding, “This kind of behavior can never be tolerated in football.” He continued, “Ji-sung is upset by what happened, but he knows that the club and his teammates support him.”

Both clubs moved quickly. Swansea issued an official statement saying, “We condemn all forms of discrimination. We stand by Ji-sung Eom and offer him our unwavering love and support.” Millwall, the home side, also said it would “apply a zero-tolerance approach and take the strongest possible action against anyone found responsible,” adding that it would fully cooperate with the police investigation.
It was an even more painful day for Ji-sung Eom. At the recently concluded 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, he won a gold medal and played a key role in securing an unprecedented fourth consecutive title. He returned to his club in high spirits after the triumph, but ended up suffering an indelible hurt before even stepping onto the pitch.
What remains now is a thorough investigation by the British football world and the police, followed by firm ‘zero-tolerance’ punishment.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter