*This content was translated by AI.
The WKBL (Korea Women's Basketball Federation) has imposed a severe disciplinary action on Kim Young-man (54), the head of the game management headquarters, to suspend his qualifications in connection with the first-ever omission of referee assignments.
WKBL will hold a finance committee meeting at 10 a.m. on the 21st and announce the results of disciplinary action for the delay in the regular league game between KB Stars and Shinhan Bank held at Cheongju Gymnasium on January 16th. "The finance committee imposed a one-month suspension on Kim Young-man, head of the Gyeonggi Operations Headquarters, who is in charge of management of the incident." We will impose a reprimand on Park Sun-young, head of the Gyeonggi Operations Department, who is in charge of practical affairs," he said.
According to the WKBL, Kim will be suspended from his duties as head of the division until February 20.
Hana Bank's 2025-2026 women's professional basketball match between Cheongju KB Stars and Incheon Shinhan Bank at Cheongju Gymnasium on the 16th began at 7:30 p.m., not at 7 p.m. It was an accident that started 30 minutes later than scheduled after a fatal problem was found in the process of allocating referees by the game management headquarters. This is because there was an unprecedented situation in which the referee team could not arrive at the stadium on time due to the delay in notification of the referee assignment.
At that time, WKBL issued an official apology after the game and began to settle it. WKBL bowed its head, saying, "We apologize to fans and officials for the setback in the operation of the game in relation to the delay of about 30 minutes in the opening of the regular league game between KB Stars and Shinhan Bank at Cheongju Gymnasium."
"We will consider this issue a serious issue and receive a report from the relevant person in charge to clarify the cause and responsibility of the issue after the game ends on the 16th," he said. "We plan to hold a financial committee as soon as possible to comprehensively review the situation of the delay and follow-up measures."
He also promised, "We will officially apologize to all clubs, including both clubs, for this matter, and push for inspection and improvement of the overall game management and on-site management system to prevent a recurrence in the future."
As a result, the WKBL investigation revealed that the situation was a clear violation of the rules of the game management headquarters, which was in charge of allocating referees. The WKBL said, "We have decided to take stern responsibility for the violation of the Gyeonggi Management Headquarters regulations (the referee's assignment mission)."
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*This content was translated by AI.
