According to reports from the Korean newspaper 'Chosun Daily' and others, Bernardo, the president of the Institute for Geomatics and Geographic Information Engineers of Jalisco, Mexico, apologized and resigned after making the 'sneak-eyed' gesture at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
On June 11th, a Korean netizen posted on social media, stating that she experienced racial discrimination from a Mexican man during this World Cup.
During the group stage against Czech Republic in Korea, she filmed a video where she waved to Mexican spectators. Most fans responded kindly to her greeting, but one man made a racist gesture of "sneak eye" towards the camera, and then laughed loudly.
The video caused a heated discussion on social media, and many netizens expressed condemnation of the act. Subsequently, the man's real identity was revealed. It is said that his name is Bernardo, and he is the chairman of CITGEJ.
According to Mexican media reports, Bernar used racist gestures to mock a South Korean fan. Some fans have criticized his behavior on social platforms.
A professor at a South Korean university urged Bernabé to apologize and called on FIFA to take measures to prevent such incidents from happening again.
According to a report by The New York Times, a spokesperson for CITGEJ stated that Bernar will be removed from his position.
On June 13th, local time, CITGEJ issued a statement expressing ‘deep regret’ over this incident. They also convened an urgent meeting of the Honor and Justice Committee, deciding to remove its chairman from his position.
On the 14th local time, Bernar posted a public apology on social media. He said, "I express my sincere apologies to all Korean fans and those who have been offended due to my actions. I had no intention of insulting or harming anyone. In order to take responsibility for this controversy, I will resign from my position as chairman."
(Observing Network compiles information from Korean newspapers such as "Chosun Daily News," "Korea Herald," "RT," and Huanqiu Net)
