01What happened

The story, straight

Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes, president of the Surveying and Geomatics Engineers Association of Jalisco, Mexico (CITGEJ), posted a public apology video and message on Instagram on June 14 for making a slant-eye gesture behind a South Korean female YouTuber who was filming at a 2026 North American World Cup match. The incident, captured in a photo that circulated widely on social media, drew condemnation online and prompted debate in Korean and international communities over whether the apology was sufficient.

ulises fernando bernal miramontes — president of a mexican engineering guild (CITGEJ) — posted a video apology on instagram june 14 after a photo of him making a slant-eye gesture behind a korean female YouTuber at a world cup match went viral. netizens are split on whether it's actually sincere or just damage control.

02Spread timeline

Where it actually started

Early June 2026 (exact date unclear)Origin
Photo of Miramontes making slant-eye gesture behind Korean YouTuber surfaces and circulates online.photo of miramontes doing a slant-eye gesture behind a korean youtuber at a world cup match starts spreading online
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June 14, 2026
Miramontes posts apology video and written message on his Instagram account.miramontes posts an apology video on instagram saying the incident doesn't represent him
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June 14, 2026
Korean media outlets pick up the story; netizens debate sincerity of the apology.korean outlets run the story, netizens split on whether it's a real apology or just PR
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03Source receipts

Every claim, linked

Google News / Korea TimesKorea Times article confirming Mexican man apologized for racist gesture toward Korean YouTuber at World Cup
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Asia Business Daily (asiae.co.kr)Detailed report naming Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes and CITGEJ, describing the incident and Korean netizen debate
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The Straits TimesSingapore-based outlet report with apology details, photo description, and timeline of the incident
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04What's solid, what isn't

What's solid and what isn't

Confirmed
  • Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes is president of CITGEJ (Surveying and Geomatics Engineers Association of Jalisco).
  • He made a slant-eye gesture behind a South Korean female YouTuber filming at a World Cup match.
  • He posted a public apology video and message on Instagram on June 14, 2026.
Disputed
  • The exact date of the original incident and when the photo first circulated.
  • The identity of the Korean YouTuber involved.
Developing
  • Korean netizen sentiment remains divided on the sincerity of the apology.

05Why it matters

The editorial take

The incident arrives as the 2026 World Cup, hosted across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, is under heightened global scrutiny for fan behavior and racial incidents. It highlights the tension between the tournament's multicultural promise and the reality of on-the-ground interactions, with Korean online communities debating whether corporate-adjacent figures face real accountability or simply weather the news cycle.

the world cup is supposed to be this shared global party and then this guy pulls a slant-eye gesture on camera. the debate in korean communities is basically: does an apology from a guild president mean anything, or is this just 'i got caught' energy? either way, the world cup hosting countries are under a microscope right now.