Drew Without Scoring a Goal... Chinese Soccer Fans Blame Korean Referee for 'One Yellow Card'

On the 17th, at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, during the Group A match of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup between Lebanon and China, which ended in a 0-0 draw, Chinese players are greeting the spectators. [Image source=Yonhap News]

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After the Chinese national football team drew 0-0 against Lebanon in the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup qualifiers, some Chinese netizens have been making unfounded claims blaming "Korean referees."

Professor Seo Kyung-deok of Sungshin Women's University pointed out on his Facebook on the 19th, "The behavior of Chinese netizens towards the Asian Cup is nothing short of 'embarrassing to watch,'" adding, "In the qualifier match against Lebanon on the 17th, many Chinese media and netizens are blaming the Korean referees for the draw." He continued, calling it "a kind of inferiority complex," and added, "They are making absurd claims that this is retaliation for the excessive yellow cards given by Chinese referees to Korean players in the first qualifier match against Bahrain and Korea."

He said, "Chinese netizens are blaming Korean referees rather than their own team's performance," and added, "I hope Chinese spectators and netizens will first adopt basic manners before enjoying the Asian Cup."

[Image source=Seokyungdeok, Professor at Sungshin Women's University, Facebook]

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Professor Seo also recalled an incident last November during the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asian second qualifiers between Korea and China, where some Chinese spectators repeatedly shone laser lights at Korean players such as Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in.

He criticized, "The 'unsportsmanlike conduct' of Chinese spectators caused a big controversy," adding, "Before the match started, some Chinese spectators booed during the national anthem, and they shone laser lights at Korean players including Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in, which was truly outrageous." He emphasized, "Fair play among players in sports matches is very important. Also, the 'manners' of spectators watching live are equally important," and stressed, "Especially, the 'healthy criticism' from netizens watching the game is very important."

Meanwhile, the referee for the China-Lebanon match held on the 17th was Korean referee Ko Hyung-jin. Referee Ko did not frequently interrupt the flow of the game and issued only one yellow card. At the 30th minute of the first half, Chinese player Zhang Yuning was cautioned for striking an opponent's abdomen during a ball contest.

However, at the 14th minute of the first half, Lebanon's Kamis extended his foot to clear the ball and struck Chinese player Dai Waichun's face in the process. Dai Waichun fell down immediately, but referee Ko first called an offside foul committed by China in the preceding play. Kamis was not given a card. It is interpreted that there was no intent.

Chinese media expressed anger over this. Chinese 'Tencent Sports' shared the scene and protested, saying, "Isn't this a red card? Dai Waichun was almost kicked in the face by a Lebanese player. But the Korean referee remained still even after listening to the VAR opinion."

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