"Is She on Her Period?"... Referee's Sexist Remark Toward Women's Football Star Ji So-yeon Sparks Controversy

Ji So-yeon's strong protest halts match for 4 minutes
Referee claims, "It was just among ourselves"
Federation says, "We will review the supervisor's report to determine the facts"

Controversy has erupted after Ji So-yeon (35, Suwon FC Women), one of the star players of the WK League, claimed she was subjected to sexually inappropriate remarks by the referee during a women’s football WK League match.

On August 28, during the 2026 WK League regular season match between Suwon FC Women and Seoul City held at Suwon Sports Complex, play was stopped for approximately four minutes in the first half due to Ji So-yeon's intense protest.

According to the live broadcast on the Korea Women's Football Federation's YouTube channel, referee Bae Sun-young issued a yellow card to Ji So-yeon around the 30th minute of the first half. Afterwards, Ji So-yeon moved toward her team's bench and explained the situation to the coaching staff with a visibly upset expression and gestures.

Suwon FC Women’s Ji Soyoun (left) during the match. Photo by Yonhap News

Subsequently, the referee approached the bench, leading to a further exchange between both sides, and Ji So-yeon continued her strong protest. When Ji So-yeon expressed her frustration by actions such as throwing a water bottle, referee Bae appeared to show a red card, but did not actually send her off. The match resumed after a stoppage of about four minutes.

After the match, Ji So-yeon told Yonhap News that her protest was triggered by a specific remark made by the referee crew. According to her, referee Bae said over the radio, in what sounded like a reference to Ji, “She’s been sensitive from the start. Maybe she’s on her period.”

Ji So-yeon explained, “I protested earlier because the opponent committed a harsh foul. Even in the controversial moment, while I was appealing, the referee made that comment next to me. After hearing it, I said to the referee, ‘Excuse me, what did you just say? If you say such things, it’s grounds for punishment,’ and then I was given a yellow card.”

Referee Bae at first denied making the comment, but as Ji’s protest continued, she reportedly offered an explanation, saying that “It was a conversation just among ourselves.”

A Korea Women's Football Federation official stated, "The match supervisor identified the situation on-site and will submit a report within 24 hours. We will request the observer's report and referee report from the Korea Football Association, review them, and work to determine the details."

The controversy also affected the outcome of the match. In the 29th minute of the second half, Ji So-yeon scored the winning goal, leading Suwon FC Women to a 2-1 victory. However, the yellow card she received in the first half, combined with accumulated bookings, means she will be suspended from the 23rd round match against Hwacheon KSPO on September 2.

Suwon FC Women’s player Ji So-Yeon (number 10) is protesting to referee Bae Sun-Young during the WK League match against Seoul City Hall. Photo by Yonhap News

Suwon FC Women is reportedly planning to officially raise the issue with the Korea Women's Football Federation and other relevant bodies. The federation intends to review the referee and match observer reports together to confirm the details and context of the remarks and will consider what action is necessary.

After the game, Ji So-yeon commented on the issue, saying, “That’s something that should never be said. I believe it was clearly wrong,” and added, “We need to respect referees, and referees need to respect us as well.”

Ji So-yeon is widely regarded as the leading figure in Korean women’s football and one of the best players in the world. She began her professional career in 2010 at INAC Kobe Leonessa in Japan and joined Chelsea Women in the English league in 2014, playing there for eight years. Afterwards, she moved to OL Reign in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in the United States, and returned to Korea in 2022 to play for Suwon FC Women.

For the national team, she has played in 176 international matches (A-matches), scoring 75 goals, which are both the all-time appearance record for men and women in Korea as well as the most goals for the women’s national team.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.