Referee Bae Seon-young's "Girls Day" remarks Players Union: "Remove harassing referee immediately"...Ji So-yeon incident controversy spreads

The Korean Professional Football Players Union has demanded the immediate removal and maximum disciplinary action against a referee for making sexually harassing remarks toward Ji So-yeon of Suwon FC Women during a women's football WK League match.

In an official statement on the 31st, the Players Union stated, "We define this incident not as a simple dispute over a call, but as a serious human rights violation and abuse of referee authority that occurred on the pitch, and we urge the prevention of recurrence."

The incident occurred on the 28th during a 2026 WK League match between Suwon FC Women and Seoul City Hall at Suwon Sports Complex. Ji So-yeon, while receiving a caution from the referee in the 30th minute of the first half, heard what amounted to "She's been sensitive since the beginning. Must be that time of the month," through the referee team's radio communication, and strongly protested. The Korea Football Association referee said initially that the word 'that time' was not used, but controversy intensified when it was confirmed that the expression 'Girls Day,' a slang term meaning menstruation, was actually used.

Lee Geun-ho, who serves as co-chairman of the Players Union along with Ji So-yeon, criticized, "The referee, who should protect players most closely, instead inflicted indelible shame on a specific player in front of all players from both teams," and stated, "The act of wielding power with the card as a weapon to cover this up is an atrocious act that would not be tolerated in any professional league in the world."

The Players Union stated that players from the opposing team, Seoul City Hall, also heard the remarks. Kim Hun-gi, secretary general of the Players Union, said, "Seoul City Hall players were also shocked, thinking 'I could hear that remark from that referee someday,'" and added, "The players' desperate plea is that a second or third Ji So-yeon incident could happen at any time."

The Players Union demanded that the referee be immediately removed from the pitch and referred to the Korea Sports Council's Sports Fair Committee for maximum severe disciplinary action. Additionally, the union urged the Korea Football Association to immediately establish an emergency task force and comprehensively overhaul the current referee management system.

The controversy is expected to spread to the international football community. The Players Union stated, "The International Professional Football Players Association (FIFPRO) also recognizes this case as a serious gender violence and human rights violation incident and is closely monitoring the situation," and announced plans to share the matter with the International Football Federation (FIFA) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in coordination with FIFPRO. Meanwhile, due to accumulated cautions, Ji So-yeon will be unable to play in the match scheduled for August 2nd, and Suwon FC is reportedly requesting a fact-finding investigation.