Simply for his ethnic identity.
6 minutes ago
Popular broadcasting star Jonathan Yiombi found himself at the center of heated backlash and abuse after South Korea’s elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite having no connection to the sport at all.
Jonathan Yiombi | @yjonathanta/Instagram
On June 28, DR Congo defeated Uzbekistan in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, and as a result, South Korea was officially eliminated from the tournament. This is the first World Cup since 2018 that South Korea has failed to cross the group stage.
The South Korean team’s heartbreaking exit from the tournament has left the country angered, with the players and the coach facing scathing rebuke. However, many soccer fans also lashed out at Jonathan simply because of his Congolese identity. The entertainer was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo before coming to Korea as a refugee when he was eight years old.
Jonathan’s social media feed was terrorized by angry netizens, accusing him of secretly cheering for Congo, demanding an apology, and even blaming him for the Korean team’s defeat. However, many netizens have also come to his defense and apologized for the mindless hate he had received.
This incident has sparked international-level backlash as well, with global netizens criticizing it as “pathetic” and racist.
koreans explode if they’re not racist or misogynistic once a day every day https://t.co/DkkZNJXrgG
— aroa ☆ pjo era (@MIYUKI2PRETTY) June 28, 2026
The pattern of Koreans immediately looking to blame someone else for them performing like shit instead of taking accountability is debilitatingly pathetic https://t.co/xZ8Z2qMlk7
— ✨🫚 jinjja ale 🫗✨ (@voodoo_bubu) June 28, 2026
couldnt even wait a second to be antiblack https://t.co/0z4EkamdtM
— quartz (@gcldquartz) June 28, 2026