Referee Bae Seon-young's 'Girls Day' Slur Players' Union Demands Immediate Removal of Harassing Referee...Ji So-yeon Incident Fallout Spreads

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

On the 31st, the Players' Union issued an official statement stating, "We recognize this incident not as a simple controversial call but as a serious human rights violation on the pitch and an abuse of the referee's authority, and we urge the prevention of recurrence."

The incident occurred on the 28th at a 2026 WK League match between Suwon FC Women and Seoul City Hall at Suwon Sports Complex. During the first half at around the 30-minute mark, when Ji So-yeon received a caution from the head referee, she heard through the referee crew's radio communication a comment to the effect of "She's been sensitive from the start. Must be on her period." She strongly protested. The Korea Football Association Referees Division initially explained that they did not use the word "period," but the controversy grew larger when it was confirmed that they actually used the slang term "Girls Day," which refers to menstruation.

Lee Geun-ho, who serves as co-chair of the Players' Union alongside Ji So-yeon, criticized the incident, stating, "The referee, who should protect players most closely, inflicted unforgettable shame on a specific player in front of all the players of both teams," and "The behavior of wielding authority like a weapon with cards in an attempt to cover this up is a despicable act that would never 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 remark. Kim Hoon-gi, Secretary General of the Players' Union, said, "Seoul City Hall players were also greatly shocked, thinking 'I could hear that comment someday,'" and added, "The players' urgent plea is that a second or third Ji So-yeon incident could occur at any time."

The Players' Union demanded the immediate removal of the referee from the pitch and referred the case to the Korea Sports Council's Sports Arbitration Committee for maximum sanctions. It also urged the Korea Football Association to immediately establish an emergency response committee and comprehensively reform the current referee management system.

The fallout is expected to spread to the international football community. The Players' Union stated, "The International Professional Football Association (FIFPRO) also recognizes this incident as a serious case of gender-based violence and human rights violation and is closely monitoring the situation," and announced plans to coordinate with FIFPRO to share the case with the International Football Federation (FIFA) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Meanwhile, due to accumulated cautions, Ji So-yeon will be unable to play in the match on the 2nd of next month, and Suwon FC reportedly plans to request an investigation into the incident.