The Korean Women's Football Association has initiated an investigation and follow-up actions regarding inappropriate comments made by a referee toward Ji So-yeon during a recent women's professional football WK League match.
On August 28, during a match between Suwon FC Women and Seoul City Hall at Suwon Sports Complex, the association confirmed it would verify the facts surrounding the referee-related incident and implement measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The controversy arose when Ji So-yeon received a warning after protesting to the referee about the match situation around the 30-minute mark of the first half, leading to a four-minute stoppage in play.
It was reported that Ji So-yeon heard the referee's crew use slang terms 'girl's day' and 'sensitive' during their wireless communication, which she interpreted as inappropriate comments directed at her. In response, she protested vigorously, throwing water bottles and other items. Referee Bae Sun-young displayed a red card but did not issue an ejection. Initially, Bae denied making the comments but later acknowledged that they were part of a conversation among the referees.
However, the Korea Football Association's referee team stated that the term 'menstruation' was not used in their communication and that Ji So-yeon was not specifically identified.
According to reports, Ji So-yeon's team, Suwon FC Women, raised concerns about the inappropriate remarks made by the referees during the match and formally requested the association and the football federation to verify the facts and take action on August 30.
Following the match, the association listened to the club's feedback and reviewed relevant documents, including the referee's report and the match supervisor's report. On August 31, the association requested an official statement from the Korea Football Association's referee operations team regarding the circumstances of the comments made during the match and the specific facts, along with future handling plans.
The association stated, "Since the player recognized that there were inappropriate expressions directed at her during the referees' wireless communication and raised the issue, we take this matter seriously as it relates to the dignity and respect of the player, mutual respect and trust among league members, and the fair operation of the WK League."
It added, "Once the facts are confirmed, necessary actions must follow, and practical improvement measures should be established to prevent recurrence. However, since the referees are also important members of the WK League, we plan to use this incident as an opportunity to review the overall culture of match operations and communication within the league rather than approaching it as a blame game against specific individuals."
To facilitate this, the association plans to hold a meeting with WK League referees, relevant personnel from the Korea Football Association, and participating clubs. The meeting will discuss the positions of each party and explore ways to address potential conflicts and communication procedures related to refereeing in the WK League.
The association aims to reassess the operation of the WK League and continue efforts to create a respectful and trustworthy environment for all participants, including players, coaches, referees, and clubs.
Earlier, the Korea Professional Football Players Association characterized the incident as a serious human rights violation and abuse of power by the referee, rather than a mere dispute over a decision. Lee Geun-ho, who co-chairs the players' association with Ji So-yeon, strongly criticized the behavior of the referee, who should protect players but instead caused humiliation and used cards as a weapon.
Additionally, the players' association has demanded the establishment of an emergency response committee by the football association to reform the refereeing system and called for the dismissal of the referee involved in this incident.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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