Digitally altered photographs depicting the South Korean soccer star Son Heung-min injured and in a wheelchair. (Photo: a screenshot from an online community in China)
SEOUL, Jun. 14 (Korea Bizwire) – Digitally altered photographs depicting the South Korean soccer star Son Heung-min injured and in a wheelchair have spread online in China, appearing to reflect lingering tensions after a recent World Cup qualifying match between the two countries.
The manipulated images began circulating on Chinese internet forums following the June 11 game in Seoul, where Son made a hand gesture interpreted by some Chinese fans as taunting after South Korea’s 1-0 victory over China.
In one of the doctored photos posted on a South Korean online community, Son is shown sitting in a wheelchair with what looks like a manager assisting him. Another shows a Chinese player offering Son, still in a wheelchair, a basket of fruit. A third image has four wheelchairs holding what seem to be trash bags labeled with the names of other South Korean players like Kim Min-jae and Hwang Hee-chan.
“They’re saying players like Son Heung-min and other European-based stars should have their legs broken by harsh tackles,” wrote the online user who shared the images, suggesting they reflect Chinese fans venting anger over the match.
The digital manipulations appear to be retaliation for a gesture Son made toward Chinese spectators who had jeered him after he fell during the game. Smiling, the Tottenham Hotspur striker used his fingers to signal “3-0″ — an allusion to South Korea’s lopsided victory over China last November in their first qualifying match in Shenzhen.
At the time, Son told reporters he didn’t feel he had done anything to provoke the fans’ taunts, adding, “I wanted to show something as that kind of behavior disrespects Korean fans at our home stadium.”
South Korean internet users mocked the virality of the doctored images in China, with one commenter writing: “They should tackle each other if they want to.” Another remarked, “It’s a good thing the referee issued appropriate cautions during the match. Otherwise they might’ve actually done this.”
The latest episode highlights simmering tensions in the sports rivalry between the two countries, though both national teams have advanced to the next round of World Cup qualifying for the 2026 tournament.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
