“Clear Refereeing Error” Ruling Issued: Suwon’s Ko Jong-hyun Given Only a Yellow Card in Match Against Seongnam; “Red Card for Violent Conduct Was Appropriate”

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

• Conclusion from the Korea Football Association’s Professional Referee Evaluation Committee

A conclusion has been reached that the referee’s decision to issue only a yellow card, rather than a red card (ejection), to Suwon Samsung’s Ko Jong-hyun for striking an opposing player’s face forcefully with his elbow during the match was a “clear refereeing error.”

The Korea Football Association released on the 28th a referee briefing containing the rule interpretations and review results from the Professional Referee Evaluation Committee regarding the officiating in the Hana Bank K League 2 2026 Round 30 match between Seongnam FC and Suwon held at Tancheon General Sports Complex on the 25th.

The situation at the time was as follows. During a corner kick around the 23rd minute of the first half, Suwon’s Ko Jong-hyun struck Jeung Seung-yong in the face with his elbow while jostling for position. Jeung collapsed on the spot, expressing pain, and received treatment for a considerable amount of time.

The incident was unrelated to the ball; moreover, it involved a forceful strike to the opponent’s face with an elbow. However, referee Park Jung-ho showed only a yellow card to Ko Jong-hyun at the time. It is reported that the Video Assistant Referees (VAR An Jae-hoon, AVAR Gwak Seung-soon) also did not recommend an “on-field review,” in which the on-field referee directly views the screen and re-evaluates the decision, regarding the call made at the time.

Jeung Seung-yong, who was struck in the face, barely managed to play out the remainder of the first half but ultimately requested a voluntary substitution at halftime. According to the club, Jeung immediately headed to the emergency room. Seongnam manager Kim Hae-un could not hide his disappointment after the match, stating, “Jeung requested a substitution saying his eye was so swollen he couldn’t see,” and adding, “If an elbow strike caused such bruising and swelling of the eye, the situation should have been addressed more clearly.”

Regarding the decision in question, the Professional Referee Evaluation Committee stated, “The on-field referee at the time judged Ko Jong-hyun’s action as a reckless challenge and issued a yellow card, while the Video Assistant Referee did not recommend an on-field review.” The committee explained, “However, according to Law 12 (Fouls and Misconduct) of the Laws of the Game, if a player intentionally strikes the head or face of an opponent or another person using their hand or arm without challenging for the ball, it is explicitly stipulated that such action shall be punished as ‘violent conduct’ unless the force used is trivial.”

The committee further stated, “Ko Jong-hyun’s facial strike using his elbow at the time was carried out independently of any challenge for the ball, and neither the point of contact nor the intensity of the impact can be considered trivial.” It added, “Therefore, the yellow card issued by the on-field referee was inappropriate, and a red card for violent conduct was the appropriate decision (refereeing error). Furthermore, as this constituted a clear and obvious error in missing an offense worthy of ejection, the VAR referee should have actively recommended an on-field review to the on-field referee and intervened (refereeing error).”

Ultimately, the Professional Referee Evaluation Committee concluded that both the judgment by on-field referee Park Jung-ho, who issued only a yellow card instead of a red card to Ko Jong-hyun at the time, and the VAR’s judgment—specifically, the failure to properly identify Park’s clear error and recommend an on-field review by referee An Jae-hoon—were all “refereeing errors.”

Given that the Professional Referee Evaluation Committee has concluded that the decision at the time was a refereeing error, Ko Jong-hyun may be referred to the Korea Professional Football League’s Disciplinary Committee and face post-match sanctions. The Football Association stated, “We will make every effort to further enhance the reliability of league officiating through systematic analytical training and objective evaluation of professional referees going forward.” Because Ko Jong-hyun received only a yellow card instead of a red card, Suwon did not fall behind in numbers and subsequently secured a 2-0 victory over Seongnam with an early goal by Kang Hyun-mok and an own goal by the opponent.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original