PUBLISHED ONAugust 31, 2026 10:15 AMBYKoh Xing YingA South Korean football referee has come under fire after allegedly making an inappropriate remark about a player during a women's league match on Thursday (Aug 28).
The controversy centred on what one media report described as "six words" allegedly spoken over the officiating team's wireless communication system during the match: "She must be on her period."
According to The Korea Herald, referee Bae Sun-young also allegedly described midfielder Ji So-yun as being particularly "sensitive" during the match.
The incident occurred around the 31st minute of a match between Suwon FC Women and Seoul City Hall at Suwon Sports Complex in Gyeonggi Province, when football player Ji So-yun appealed for a foul, according to The Korea Herald.
Footage of the incident from a livestream shared on social media showed Ji receiving a yellow card before she approached the bench to speak with coaching staff. She then appeared frustrated before throwing a water bottle onto the ground.
Bae then approached the bench and took out a red card but did not show it to Ji, allowing the game to continue.
Despite the incident, Ji went on to score the winning goal in the 74th minute as Suwon FC Women came from behind to beat Seoul City Hall 2-1.
After the match, Ji described the remark as "inappropriate" and said it should never have been made, adding that "respect must go both ways between players and referees," reported The Korea Herald.
Although Bae initially denied making the remark, she later acknowledged it, saying it was part of a "private conversation" among match officials.
Following the incident, the Korea Women's Football Federation said on Sunday (Aug 31) that it was reviewing materials, including the Korea Football Association's (KFA) referee report and the match supervisor's report, according to South Korean news outlet Star News.
It has also asked the KFA to provide an official position on the matter, including confirming the facts surrounding the incident and outlining proposed follow-up measures.
The federation said it viewed the matter seriously, as the alleged remarks were made through the referee team's wireless communication system and were perceived as inappropriate by a player.
"We recognise it seriously as an issue directly linked to to the respect for players' dignity, mutual respect and trust among league members and the fair operating environment of the WK League," it said.
The federation added that once the facts are confirmed, necessary measures should be taken and improvements made to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
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