What did Ji So-yun accuse referee Bae Sun-young of saying during the WK League match?

Ji said Bae made a sexually harassing remark that appeared to refer to her, saying, She has been sensitive from early on. She must be on her period. Ji said the comment came after she protested an earlier non-call.

How did the referee respond after Ji So-yun challenged the remark?

Ji said she asked the referee what had just been said and warned that such a comment could lead to discipline. Ji then received a yellow card, and Bae reportedly grabbed a red card but did not show it to her.

What action did the Korea Football Association take after the complaint?

The KFA said its amateur referee evaluation group referred the case to the Disciplinary Committee because of the seriousness of the situation. It also said it will prepare steps to prevent a repeat and promote mutual respect in women’s football.

Nat'l football body opens disciplinary case against referee over alleged remark on player

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Summary

The Korea Football Association said Friday it opened disciplinary proceedings against a referee over an alleged sexually harassing remark on Ji So-yun during a WK League match. The case was referred to the KFA Disciplinary Committee after the amateur referee evaluation group reviewed it. Suwon FC Women and Ji had asked the Korea Women’s Football Federation and the KFA to investigate further. The KFA said it will work on measures to prevent similar incidents and promote mutual respect in women’s football.

Key Facts

Ji So-yun accused referee Bae Sun-young of making an alleged remark during a match last Friday while Ji was protesting an earlier non-call.
Ji said she was shown a yellow card after confronting the referee about the remark, and Bae grabbed a red card but did not show it to the player.
Bae initially denied making the comment, then said her words did not refer to any particular player and that she was talking with a fellow official.
Ji, 35, has played 175 matches and scored 75 international goals, making her the most capped Korean footballer and the top Korean scorer.
The match was streamed live on the Korea Women’s Football Federation’s YouTube channel.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 4, 2026 8:44 am KST

This image captured from the streaming of a WK League match on Aug. 28 for Suwon FC Women shows an exchange between Suwon FC Women player Ji So-yun, center, and referee Bae Sun-young. Captured from Korea Women's Football Federation's YouTube channel

The national football governing body said Friday it has opened disciplinary proceedings against a referee for allegedly making a sexually harassing remark on a player.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said its amateur referee evaluation group decided to refer the case to the KFA's Disciplinary Committee, considering the gravity of the situation.

Ji So-yun of Suwon FC Women in the WK League has accused referee Bae Sun-young of telling another official during a match last Friday, apparently in reference to the player, "She has been sensitive from early on. She must be on her period." The match was streamed live on the Korea Women's Football Federation's YouTube channel.

Ji said she was at first protesting an earlier non-call by Bae and then the referee made the apparent remark.

"After I heard her, I told her, 'What did you just say? You can be disciplined for saying something like that.' And that is when she gave me a yellow card," Ji said.

As Ji reacted angrily, Bae grabbed a red card but did not show it to the player.

Bae initially denied ever making that comment but later clarified that her words did not refer to any particular player and she was only having a chat with a fellow official. Bae also claimed she did not specifically say the word "period."

Earlier this week, Suwon FC Women asked both the Korea Women's Football Federation and the KFA to look further into the matter.

The KFA said it will prepare measures to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents and will explore ways to establish a culture of mutual respect between players and officials in women's football.

Ji, 35, is the most capped Korean footballer, male or female, with 175 matches, and has also scored more international goals than any Korean player with 75.

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