Referee Bae Seon-young 'Girls' Day' Offensive Remarks Answer Arrives After 76 Days: 'Minimum 3-Month Ban'

It took 76 days. Regarding the incident where referee Bae Seon-young made sexually harassing remarks during a WK League match between Suwon FC Women and Seoul City Hall held at Suwon Sports Complex on August 28, the Korea Football Association's Sports Fairness Committee's conclusion was revealed only on the 11th. The answer: a 3-month competition ban. According to reports, this falls at the minimum level within the range applied when the degree of sexual harassment can be considered "mild or impulsive" under the association's regulations.

What happened that day in Suwon

The incident occurred in the 31st minute of the first half. Referee Bae made remarks about a Suwon FC Women player during inter-referee radio communication, saying to the effect of "She's been sensitive from the start. Must be on her period," using the slang term "Girls' Day" meaning menstruation. Upon hearing this, Ji So-yeon protested, saying "Sir, what did you just say? Comments like that are grounds for discipline," and was met with a yellow card. Referee Bae initially denied the remarks but later changed his story to say "it was something we said among ourselves," and was subsequently reported to have admitted to using slang. Two days later, based on a statement from the players, the club filed a formal complaint with the association and the federation. The Korean Professional Football Players Association, of which Ji So-yeon is co-chair, called for the referee's expulsion, calling it "a serious human rights violation and abuse of referee authority."

Minimum level, non-disclosure, and empty stadiums

The discipline decision was made in mid-last month, and the club received official notification on the 23rd of last month, but it became public only through a media report on the 10th of this month. The association has not disclosed the grounds for discipline, citing "sensitive personal information." The controversy over effectiveness stems from this point. If the WK League championship deciding matches are on the 15th and 18th this month, and the cup final is on the 21st, this season's women's football schedule is essentially over. Depending on the discipline start date, much of the "3-month ban" could overlap with the off-season when there are no matches, but because the association has not disclosed the start date and scope of application, it is impossible even to verify how many matches this discipline will actually cause to be missed. The association has essentially removed the very scale by which to measure the weight of this discipline. Media outlets uniformly pointed out this was a "light-handed discipline" (News 1) and "'minimum' 3 months" (News Fim).

Club accepts, card remains

Suwon FC Women decided not to request reconsideration, saying they chose to focus on the remainder of the season given major matches still ahead. This was a realistic choice for a club facing championship-deciding matches. However, issues remain. What this publication demanded in an editorial: the cancellation of the yellow card given to Ji So-yeon, who protested that day. While the remarks made by the offender's discipline ended at the minimum level, there has been no word that the yellow card given to the player who protested that remark has been cancelled. The coordination with the International Professional Footballers' Association (FIFPRO) that the players' association had announced has shown no subsequent progress either.

The offender's discipline stopped at the minimum level, and the record of the protest has not yet been erased. For a conclusion after waiting 76 days, too little has been resolved.