Son Heung-min's black mask gains popularity as cheering accessory

Football fans pose with Son Heung-min's signature ″click″ pose during the match against Portugal at the Qatar Al Rayyan Education City Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Friday. [YONHAP]

The black mask that Korean national team captain Son Heung-min has been wearing to protect his face during World Cup matches is gaining popularity among Korean fans as a cheering accessory.

Fans wearing black masks in the likeness of Son stood out at the Qatar Al Rayyan Education City Stadium in Qatar on Friday night, where the final and third match of the group stage took place between Korea and Portugal.

Son had previously been injured during a Tottenham Spurs Champions League match, sustaining a fracture around his left eye and undergoing surgery. He needs to wear the mask to protect his face during the World Cup matches.

As fans started wearing black masks to show support for Son, the so-called “Son mask” has gained popularity online as a cheering item for anyone getting decked out to watch the World Cup. A search for the “Son mask” on Naver Shopping currently shows more than 700 products.

Even in Qatar, Korean fans wearing black masks could be seen on game footage. Fans with black masks imitated Son’s signature “click” pose, in which he makes a square with both hands’ fingers in the motion of snapping a camera picture.

“I thought it would be more meaningful if fans also wore similar masks and cheered for Son,” said Lee Kang-hyeon, a fan who flew out to Qatar to watch the World Cup games, according to Yonhap. Lee said he bought his black “Son mask” online.

Some fans even made their own homemade masks with 3-D printers or by cutting out eye holes in black face masks. Many people uploaded photos of themselves wearing such masks on social media during and after matches.

BY HYEON YE-SEUL [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]

korea joongAng daily

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Son Heung-min's black mask gains popularity as cheering accessory

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