One last tweet about Byoung-jin Han: that tequila shot he took while wearing a Mexico jersey lent to him by a fan? Another fan @sebasaspe passed this along: pic.twitter.com/JtCAe8390y
— James Wagner (@ByJamesWagner) June 27, 2018
Ecstatic Mexican fans besieged the South Korean embassy in their capital to celebrate with diplomats after the Asian team stunned Germany at the World Cup and ensured Mexico’s progress to the last 16 in Russia.
Mexicans watched in horror as their side were thumped 3-0 in Yekaterinburg, leaving them keeping a nervous eye on the match between Germany and South Korea about 500 miles (800 kilometers) to the west in Kazan.
READ: Mexican fans celebrate South Korea’s victory over Germany
But Mexico City exploded with joy when South Korea scored two injury-time goals to eliminate the defending world champions in a huge upset.
Hundreds of Mexican fans mobbed the South Korean embassy to chant “We are all Koreans!” as one lifted the consul general Han Byoung-jin onto his shoulders.
Re: Korea defeating Germany, thus allowing Mexico to progress to the next round–this video of Mexican fans bumrushing the Korean embassy in Mexico City to thank the ambassador personally, and forcing him to down tequila shots is so beautiful and perfect 😂 #KORGER pic.twitter.com/E1GeZCRrlK
— Avi (@Rantaramic) June 27, 2018
Videos posted on social media also showed ambassador Kim Sang-il sharing a bottle of tequila with fans and jumping up and down as the crowd partied outside the embassy, chanting “Korean brother, now you’re Mexican”.
The embassy was bombarded by phone calls thanking South Koreans, Yonhap news agency said, including one from Mexico’s undersecretary for foreign affairs.
READ: South Korea ends World Cup with mixed feelings
Mexican finance minister Jose Antonio Gonzalez Anaya also called his counterpart in Seoul to thank South Korea, Seoul’s finance ministry said, promising to treat him to a meal at the next G20 finance ministers’ meeting.
