Recently, the news has become a hot topic in the Uk: former Manchester United star Park Ji-sung hopes that fans will stop singing a song about him, because the song mentions Koreans eating dog meat. Park Ji-sung doesn't think fans are offensive or malicious, but insists it will make South Koreans uncomfortable.
Park Ji-sung asked club supporters to stop singing a song about him that contained negative racial stereotypes about South Koreans.
Some United supporters sang the song in front of Wolves' new signing Wong Hee-chan in August at Molyneux. Hwang Hee-chan is a South Korean international who moved from RB Leipzig to Wolves this summer.
"If I'm honest, I probably should say it louder this time." Park Ji-sung told the media.
"During that time (when I was a Manchester United player), 15 years ago, everything went from the Netherlands to England and I had to adapt and start from scratch. So when I heard the song at the time, I was very proud at the beginning because they wrote a song for me, which is good for a player. ”
Park Ji-sung made more than 200 appearances for Manchester United between 2005 and 2012, scoring 27 goals, and the "Korean who can't run" is the most successful Asian player in Manchester United's history.
"But when I hear the lyrics [about eating dog meat], I feel very uncomfortable. I was very young at the time and I didn't understand the culture here, so that was probably one of the things I had to accept. I never think that songs created by fans have bad connotations. They always make songs to give the players some energy. That's my idea. That's why I accept it. ”
"But time has changed, and now it's 15 years later. Probably, last summer, after listening to a Korean player who joined Wolves, that time the Manchester United fans sang my song, I felt like I needed to do something. ”
"Even in South Korea, it has changed a lot. Admittedly, historically, people have been eating dog meat. But now, especially the younger generation, they hate it. There used to be, but these days you really can't find it. So the culture is changing. ”
"So I'm really sorry to let him hear that. I know the Manchester United fans didn't mean to offend him, but I have to educate the fans to stop the word, which these days is a racial insult to Koreans. I have to ask the fans to stop singing the word because it's not about cheering someone else up anymore and there's more discomfort when they hear the song. "