'Korean Superstar' Ji So-yun subjected to sexual harassment remarks → She visited directly for an 'excuse instead of apology'... 'Unacceptable level' of Korean referee authoritarianism

*This content was translated by AI.

Even the face of Korean women's football bowed its head. The victim, who suffered humiliation from the referees on the field, was hurt once again by insincere excuses.

According to NEWSIS, Ji So-yun (SuwonFC Wimin), meeting with reporters ahead of a national team training camp on the 7th, said, "I came to apologize, but I cannot say that an apology was given. It felt more like an explanation than an apology," failing to hide her bitterness.

The behavior of the referees during the match between SuwonFC Wimin and Seoul City Hall on the 28th last month clearly displayed a distorted sense of privilege. When Ji So-yun approached to ask about the call, head referee Bae Seon-young used the slang term "Girl's Day," meaning menstruation, via radio communication. When the player protested, she pulled out a warning card; when she threw a water bottle in protest of the unfairness, the referee consistently adopted an intimidating posture by fiddling with a red card from her back pocket. The referees' denial that they did not use the word "menstruation" was proven false once the fact of using the slang term was revealed.

Even more painful is the hierarchy on the field that Ji So-yun pointed out. Regarding this incident, Ji So-yun remarked, "If a young player had heard that story, they would not have been able to say anything." As a veteran representing Korean women's football, she was only able to voice her opinion; if she were a rookie with limited standing or an ordinary player, she would have had to swallow the injustice entirely. She clearly highlighted the reality where referees hold the power of judgment, forcing even basic human rights violations into silence.

The real problem lies in the post-incident response. According to the Korean Professional Football Players Association, a representative from the Korea Football Association who visited the club to resolve the situation explained that the controversial remarks were not directed at Ji So-yun as an individual but at all players present on the field at the time. This is sophistry suggesting that because no specific person was singled out, the weight of the wrongdoing was lighter.

As pointed out by the Players Association, this explanation merely admitted that it insulted all the many female players who were on the field. It revealed that the head of the refereeing organization, responsible for resolving the issue and preparing measures to prevent recurrence, failed even to recognize the essence of the incident. Kim Hun-ki, Secretary-General of the Players Association, criticized, "Just because it was not directed at a specific person does not mean the weight of the problem is lighter. They should have first considered why players were hurt by those remarks."

This incident is merely one aspect of the comprehensive crisis currently rocking the entire Korean football refereeing community. Beyond incorrect calls and miscommunication on the field, authoritarian attitudes, and now controversies over inappropriate remarks and behavior by referees continue to emerge.

The reckless actions of the leadership, who should be at the center of refereeing administration, added fuel to public opinion. In particular, former Shim Pan-wi (Director) representative Moon Jin-hee faced fierce criticism during a National Assembly hearing for her arrogant attitude of responding in informal speech with hands in pockets. Regarding the reality that no World Cup final referees have been produced for 16 years, she shifted blame by saying it was due to a structure where referees are criticized when they lose, and after allegations of cartels such as "self-assignment" poured in, she submitted her resignation days later to avoid the situation.

With the leader's escape-like resignation, successive critical errors, authoritarianism suppressing the field, and remarks demeaning players compounding, the Korean football refereeing community is sinking deeper into a swamp of irrecoverable distrust.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.