Chinese Spectators Launch 'Laser Attacks' at Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in... Booing of National Anthem Also Occurs

Kleissman Team, 3:0 Victory in China Away Match
Chinese Spectators Spark Controversy with Unsportsmanlike Behavior

Under the circumstance where the Klinsmann-led team achieved a 3-0 victory over China, controversy has arisen as some Chinese spectators exhibited unsportsmanlike behavior by shining laser lights at the South Korean national team players.

The football national team, led by coach J?rgen Klinsmann, won 3-0 in the second match of Group C in the second round of the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers, held on the 21st at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center in Guangdong Province, China.

The stadium was packed with around 40,000 spectators, with all seats sold out. Especially since the match was held in China, the crowd showed one-sided support for the Chinese team. Chinese spectators displayed unsportsmanlike behavior even before the match started, booing when the South Korean national anthem was played.

The match between South Korea and China in the second round of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asian qualifiers held on the 21st at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center in China. A laser pointer aimed by Chinese spectators is visible on Lee Kang-in's body as he attempts a free kick. [Image source=Yonhap News]

During the match, some Chinese spectators also aimed laser lights at the eyes of South Korean players. Green laser lights were repeatedly spotted around the face and shoulders of Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) as he prepared for a free kick, drawing criticism.

Around the 11th minute of the first half, green lights flickered on the face of Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) just before he took a penalty kick, as captured on the broadcast. Despite the opponent crowd's attempts to distract him, Son Heung-min successfully scored the opening goal.

A laser pointer aimed by Chinese spectators is visible on the face of Son Heung-min, the captain of the national soccer team. [Image source=X (formerly Twitter)]

In response to these incidents, domestic fans criticized the Chinese spectators. Korean netizens expressed various reactions such as "China lost both the game and manners," "There is no sign of sportsmanship at all," "Do they want to win that badly?" and "Shameless spectators."

However, despite the 'laser attacks' from Chinese spectators, Lee Kang-in remained composed. In a post-match interview with reporters, he said, "I was not aware that such behavior occurred. It was not a problem at all."

He added, "As I always say, I want to show a good performance in every match. It was very motivating. All the players felt the same way," and "We really wanted to earn the three points, and I think that’s why we were able to get them."

A man wearing a Tottenham uniform is surrounded and threatened by other spectators. [Image source=Weibo]

Meanwhile, physical clashes also broke out among spectators during the match. On the Chinese social networking service Weibo, a video circulated showing a male fan wearing a Tottenham Hotspur uniform, with Son Heung-min as captain, getting into a verbal argument and then a physical altercation with surrounding Chinese spectators.

Regarding this incident, the British media outlet Daily Mail reported, "A (Tottenham) fan was assaulted at the stadium, and it seemed poorly controlled on-site, with some ugly scenes occurring in certain areas," adding, "It is unclear why the clash happened, but since Son Heung-min, Korea’s top player, is the captain of Tottenham, it may have provoked anger among Chinese fans."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.