Eom Ji-sung celebrates after scoring a goal during a final match against Japan at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Oct. 3.NEWS1
Korean national team forward Eom Ji-sung of Swansea City was allegedly subjected to racist chanting during Tuesday's match in England.
The game, with Millwall at The Den in London, was interrupted for about six to seven minutes after racist behavior was reported to referees. It was part of the 2026-27 EFL Championship, England's second-tier football league.
Local policeare investigating the incident and reviewing CCTV footage to identify those responsible.
“During the second half of this evening’s Championship fixture at Millwall, Swansea City reported an alleged incident of racist abuse aimed at Jisung Eom,” Swansea said in a statement. “As a club, we condemn racism and discrimination in all forms, and there is no place for such behavior in football or in society. We will now follow all protocols and processes and provide whatever assistance we can to all parties as the incident is investigated. We stand with Jisung, and he has our unstinting love and support.”
The alleged abuse was reported 22 minutes into the second half, when Eom, an unused substitute, was warming up near the touchline. The score was 0-0 at the time.
The referee consulted the fourth official and spoke with both managers before suspending play.
An announcement was made inside the stadium that allegations of racist chanting had been reported, according to British media, including the BBC. Spectators were also informed that police were reviewing CCTV footage to identify suspected offenders.
Eom Ji-sung speaks to reporters after arriving at Incheon International Airport on Oct. 4.NEWS1
Play resumed about six minutes later, in the 73rd minute.
Swansea manager Vitor Matos confirmed after the match that play had been suspended because of racist abuse allegedly directed at Eom.
"We all know there is no space for this; this kind of situation should not happen,” Matos said. "When they do happen, we are here to stand with the player; in this case it is our player."
“The club operates a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of discriminatory abuse,” Millwall said. “Any individual found to have engaged in such behavior will face the strongest possible action. The club is working alongside the relevant authorities to establish the facts and is unable to comment further as tonight’s alleged incident is the subject of an ongoing police investigation, which the club fully supports.”
Eom did not play in the match, which Swansea won 1-0.
Eom recently helped Korea secure its fourth consecutive men's football gold medal at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026. He recorded four goals and four assists during the tournament, including the winning goal in the final.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
