Korean Athlete Shines Laser Pointer in Chinese Leader’s Eyes

Translated below is a first-hand account of an incident that occurred during the closing ceremony of the recent Nanjing Youth Olympics in which an athelete from the South Korean delegation purportedly repeatedly shined a laser pointer at Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s face.

Many of the posts online related to this incident have been and continue to be quickly deleted, with Chinese netizens equally vexed by both the incident itself and the subsequent government censorship of the incident. During translation, the incident trended on Chinese social network Sina Weibo under the hashtag #Koreans, apologize to our Premier#, which has also since been deleted.

From Sina Weibo: (since deleted)

On-Site Witness Relates Youth Olympic Games Laser Pointer Incident

The incident: during the closing ceremony of the Nanjing Youth Olympics there was a shameful incident. The Chinese Premier, President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, flag bearers and performers were all flashed in the eyes with a laser pointer.

It was raining today and the armed police had been standing guard for over 2 hours. Many of the performers had to perform in the rain, and many of the security guards worked from 4 am until 12 am. Everyone was busy to bring the Olympics to a close and we did it! We successfully held the 2nd Youth Olympics.

But there was a unharmonious episode. Director Li Weiya had asked again and again for the audience to not point laser pointers at the stage because it can impact the live broadcast and cause problems for the large performance, but there was one genius who shined a laser at the Chinese Premier during his entrance, causing malicious trouble.

I initially did not want to expose this, but he kept doing this over and over again that I can no longer tolerate it. He pointed the laser at the Premier, President Bach, and the eyes of the flag bearers and performers. What reason could there be left to forgive/overlook this?

I tried to use my camera to pinpoint his location but my resolution was too low and since he was in the international athlete section, not having clear evidence would just cause further problems, and it isn’t as you can search each perso one by one. It was this moment that a photographer showed me a high resolution photo that he had taken from a high resolution camera. This photographer friend had had enough of it long ago, and instead of photographing the performance, he had waited to capture [the culprit] in the act. He kindly lent us his phone with the photo, and we took the phone to the police and then on to section 28-29.

At the gate, I stopped a Korean person who looked a lot like the guy in the picture. “the man is you?” “no no”. So we looked one by one, but because Koreans all look alike, we had to look for the girl that sat in front of him in the picture before we found him and I showed the photos to his coach.

[…] Those who harm national interests should be punished. Germans who have broken the law in China have even gotten the death sentence, in accordance to our laws! As for what the volunteer said, our nation’s image was harmed, and while the perpetrator may not be of age, are those grey-haired adults around him also underage? Is constantly allowing unscrupulous behavior going to show others how tolerant China is? No! It will only lead to foreigners looking down on us! Originally, he was to be kicked out, but after the volunteer’s repeated entreatries, this wasn’t done. I’m not trying to hurt the friendship between China and Korea. From EXO incident at the Nanjing airport up until now, I haven’t made any comments. I just want everyone to stand for ourselves when our nation’s interests are harmed by others, to unite and work together, protecting our national interests, even if they are minor issues. Some of this is revealing private/personal information, but I believe it should be made known to everyone, and I’m not afraid of being punished for it. China must rise up! Jia you! Our nation’s economy is currently moving forward at a rapid pace, we have a stable social environment, and a quality of life that is improving by the day. I hope we will focus more on our classical and traditional culture, rather than the worthless things of certain countries. You know what I’m talking about! China and Korea needs to, must work together, as we have shared political and economic interests!

Comments on Sina Weibo: (since deleted)

咆哮冰淇淋：

Everyone should go condemn Sina Weibo’s customer service. Why isn’t this being reported? Yet the dousing some ice water [ice bucket challenge] is reported every day. Running dogs.

萝卜仙森：

Koreans, no surprise.

一生有你ev：

Let me put in a fair word. He was born in 1998, and is still young, his heart and mind not yet mature, so everyone stop cursing him. if possible, let’s just beat him to death.

弋瀾-而非安瀾：

Don’t bangzi say they’re “good friends” of the Chinese people? Then please have Korean President Park Geun-hye and the perpetrator come forward together to apologize.

韦嵛竞：

Boycott the Korean 2014 Incheon Asia Games and the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

大美的2003：

Why didn’t security go forward to stop him at the time?

lo吴亦凡veman：

I truly do not understand why we have yet to obliterate this kimchi nation!

聂鲁大爷：

South Koreans really are retarded. I look forward to Junche Thought liberating South Korea.

眉眼弯弯的吴年糕：

I doesn’t matter if I like Korean stars or Korean dramas, this kind of low class person should not be tolerated!!!

梦想的CC：

All the posts online relating to this have been deleted. Is it for the sake of world peace or a harmonious society? What if this wasn’t a laser pointer but instead a laser sight from a gun? Just because this punk is a foreigner, he should be forgiven? What if he was Chinese? Woudl he be instead be dragged off and shot? What has happened to the China’s backbone/integrity?!

天韵晓晓：

bangzi weapon and whether or not it has radiation.

黄桃我请你吃西瓜：

Since you represent your country [competing in the Olympics], I can only say your country is low class!

牛奶里头搁点盐：

Laser pointers are very harmful when pointed at people’s eyes. For you to then point it at our Premier, that just makes you low class scum. Can retarded bangzi all just get lost out of China?!!

若葉柳心：

So far, not a single media outlet has dared to say something about this, their mouths all collectively sealed. shut their mouths. So what use is there in netizens being pissed off?

啾啾啾秋秋秋7：

There must be an apology!! Human flesh search him out! Please pass this on!

老夫脸大少年狂：

I’ve suddenly realized just how disgusting the Weibo’s trending topics/most popular list is. We’ve reshared this over 10 thousand times, and it still hasn’t made the trending/most popular list!

Comments on Tianya:

别日君再来:

Most of the posts have been deleted.

帽带企鹅:

Ban him from competition. Absolutely nothing was done. Chinese people suck, too weak.

白水味柠檬汁:

Everyone hurry and download/save the photos. Tianya moderators are hard at work deleting posts!

掌心上的生命伏线:

Those stupid cunts in Korea should first fix their brains. A nationality that should’ve died out long ago.

qq709775820:

bangzi!! Boycott their retarded fans!!

风马梵唱:

When will the honeymoon period between China and Korea be over? Too fucking disgusting. [This is a reference to Xi Jingpin’s recent state visit to South Korea].

为什么还不睡觉:

Why is this being deleted!!! Is it impacting the stability between the two countries? Fucking, why don’t you guys go try doing this in Korea?

火鸡敦士支：

Can bangzi just get the fuck out of the universe?

DH小王子:

I can only say say: why qualifies this fucking bangzi to participate in the Olympics? Fuck off!

MC大贝:　　

Those in different timezones [other countries] should post this on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, to let the world see this!!!

shssyan:

This, and still all those Chinese corporations continue fawning over Koreans, inviting kimchi bangzi to be their spokespersons. In my eyes, these so-called national corporations are no different from Chinese traitors and running dogs.

EDITOR’S NOTE (14/09/03): There is a missing screenshot above that explains the strange disconnect in narrative (indicated above by the […]) in the above post from Sina Weibo. Here it is below:

At the gate, I stopped a Korean person who looked a lot like the guy in the picture. “the man is you?” “no no”. So we looked one by one, but because Koreans all look alike, we had to look for the girl that sat in front of him in the picture before we found him and I showed the photos to [their] coach, [missing section begins here] showed it to their young athletes, and said in accented/broken English “your country”. I may have been was too impulsive, because the volunteer kept reminding me to just let it go, to be mindful of our national image. Eventually, their coach went to ask for the laser pen. Who knows where the laser pen was [what happened to it] but the laser pen was not handed over, but their actions [of using the laser pen] were stopped.

I’m not trying to incite anti-Korean sentiment. This is just one person’s behavior, and doesn’t represent all Koreans, but is the eyesight of the Koreans around him bad? Instead of stopping him, they laugh. If you dare to do something like this, then we must stop it. Those who come to our country without causing trouble are guests, whom we will treat with warm hospitality, but if you come to our country to cause trouble, then don’t blame us for no longer being hospitable. What you are losing face for [embarrassing] are Koreans. Friends we will welcome, but [missing section ends here] those who harm our national interests should be punished.