It was a shocking report. It’s unacceptable from a Korean perspective, and it was done by the world’s largest sports media outlet.
ESPN is the largest sports media organization in the United States and the largest sports media organization in the world.
Part of the ESPN group is ESPN Deportes.
It’s a Spanish-language outlet for Hispanics in the United States.
ESPN Deportes is a big deal.
In the lead-up to the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, the outlet published an article highlighting the star players from each country that will be competing in the tournament.
South Korea’s Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) are all on the list. Japan, Korea’s biggest rival for the title, is represented by Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion), Wataru Endo (Liverpool) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal).
On Son Heung-min: “The Tottenham captain is already a legend in Asian football.
He is regarded as one of the best players in the history of Asian soccer.
At Tottenham and with the Korean national team, he is an ace and a spiritual leader.
Korea’s hopes depend on him.”
As for Lee Kang-in, “He is an undisputed talent who never stops growing.
After shining in Mallorca, PSG spotted him and it didn’t take long for him to show what he can do here,” while for Hwang Hee-chan, “The Wolverhampton striker is having his best season yet.
He has scored 10 goals in the EPL and has become a great figure for the team.
He will form a great duo with Son Heung-min.”
Nothing wrong with that.
The problem came when he introduced Kim Min-jae. “
The defensive leader of the Japanese national team is already one of the best center backs in European football,” ESPN wrote of Kim.
They put the word “nipn” (Japan) in front of his name.
In Spanish, the outlet wrote
“El lder defensivo del combinado nipn ya es uno de los centrales ms destacados del ftbol europeo.” 온라인카지노
Translated into English, it reads.
“The defensive leader of the Japanese team is already one of the most outstanding center-backs in European football.”
“Kim Min-jae signed for Bayern Munich after shining for Italian champions Napoli.
It didn’t take him long to establish himself. He has tremendous class and will be the foundation for South Korea to win the title in Qatar.”
They wrote “Korea” next to Kim Min-jae’s name, but in the description of the player, it was actually Japanese.
It was a ridiculous report, and the use of the word “Japan” was sure to anger Korean soccer fans and the Korean public.
This is the current state of the world’s largest sports media outlet: carelessness, arrogance, and ignorance of the relationship between South Korea and Japan.
