'Yi Yong-ta' Involved Party: Chinese Commentator Li Makes Slip of Tongue, Removed from Broadcast... Compares Player to Korean War Martyr, "How Dare You Touch War Heroes?"

*This content was translated by AI.

Li, a 47-year-old former Chinese national football team player who served as a commentator for World Cup broadcasts, was abruptly removed from the commentary team after making remarks comparing Korean War Chinese volunteer soldiers to heroes.

According to local media reports, including Hong Kong's "Ming Pao" on the 20th, Li provided live commentary for the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup group stage match between Austria and Jordan, which was broadcast via the Chinese social media platform "Xiaohongshu" on the 17th.

The controversial remarks were made in the 34th minute of the first half. Li described a scene where an Austrian defender blocked a Jordanian player's shot with his entire body, saying, "It was like Huang Jiguang blocking the muzzle of a gun." Following this comment, Li was removed from the broadcast team immediately at the end of the first half.

Huang Jiguang, whom Li mentioned, was a Chinese People's Volunteer Army signalman who died during the Battle of Triangle Hill in Ch'orwon during the Korean War in October 1952. He is recorded as having blocked a U.S. military machine gun with his body and is a representative martyr honored with the title "Special Hero" by Chinese authorities.

While this was a metaphor occasionally used in past Chinese sports broadcasts, since the implementation of China's "Law on the Protection of Martyrs" in 2018, using national heroes as casual metaphors during live broadcasts has been strictly prohibited.

However, it is reported that Li has not been completely banned from appearing. Some Chinese netizens have expressed support, arguing that "Li's intention was merely to praise the player's spirited defense and there was no rudeness," and that the incident reflects "excessive language censorship."

Commentator Li is also a familiar figure to domestic football fans. He was the central figure in the so-called "Yi Yong-ta" incident in 2003 during the East Asian Football Championship match against Korea, where he kicked Lee Eul-yong's ankle and was subsequently struck on the back of the head.

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*This content was translated by AI.