On July 27, 2022, Napoli’s official radio station, “Kiss Kiss Napoli,” which belongs to Italy’s Serie A football club, updated Twitter on July 27, 2022, regarding a photo of Korean-born defender Kim Min-jae (25), who newly joined the team. I apologize to my Korean fans.
The media said, “I apologize for hurting my Korean friends with the graphics I made for Kim. The armor was Korean style, but the flag was not. , through this, we all learned more about Korean history and culture.”
Performing ‘Gangnam Style’ in front of teammates
According to the Korean media “JoongAng Ilbo Japanese version” (WEB version), the posted photo shows Kim wearing armor and pointing at the flag with the Napoli emblem on his back. The armor is said to be a composite of Kim’s face on a poster photo of a Korean drama.
“Kiss Kiss Napoli” posted a photo, and some South Korean football fans said the flag was a “sashimono” that was used to distinguish between friends and foes on the battlefield during Japan’s Warring States period. The photo has been removed due to complaints.
Kim made his professional debut in the Korean K-League in 2016 as a defender for the Korean national team. In 2019, he transferred to the Chinese Super League Beijing Guoan Football Club, and since 2021 has played for Fenerbahçe SK in Turkey. On July 27th, he moved to Napoli.
Kim has already joined the team, and Napoli posted a video of Kim’s practice on Instagram. In addition, a video was posted in which Kim performed “Gangnam Style” by Korean singer PSY, who became a global hit, with dance in front of his teammates.