Referee faces scrutiny after alleged remark during WK League match

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A referee is alleged to have made a remark referring to menstruation that has revived concerns about treatment of players It was a comment allegedly made by a referee during a WK League match that became one of the biggest controversies in South Korean women’s football. What began as an on-field dispute involving South Korea’s all-time top goalscorer, Ji So-yun, has since developed into a wider debate, prompting a response from the Korea Football Association (KFA) and raising questions about the treatment of female players, the structural set-up of women’s football in Korea and accountability within its governing bodies. It was around the 31st minute of the Suwon FC Women v Seoul City Hall game on 28 August when the incident happened. Suwon’s former Chelsea midfielder Ji appealed for a foul after what she felt were repeated rough tackles by the opposition. The female referee, Bae Sun-young, is then alleged to have made, over the officials’ radio system, a remark interpreted as referring to menstruation after describing Ji as “sensitive from the start”. Ji says she overheard the comment and footage from the game shows Ji visibly upset as she talks to the referee. Ji was shown a yellow card after confronting the official. In frustration Ji threw a water bottle as she approached the Suwon bench. Bae walked towards Ji, appearing to reach for a red card before deciding against issuing one, showing a yellow instead. This is an extract from our free email about women’s football, Moving the Goalposts. To get the full edition, visit this page and follow the instructions. Moving the Goalposts is delivered to your inboxes every Tuesday and Thursday. Continue reading...