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Referee’s excuse in alleged sexual harassment of Ji So-yun sparks outrage
🇰🇷 South Korea /Sports

Referee’s excuse in alleged sexual harassment of Ji So-yun sparks outrage

From Chosun Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News From a news agency Under investigation
  • Suwon FC Women defeated Seoul City Hall 2-1 in the 2026 WK League regular season match on the 28th.
  • The game stopped for about four minutes after Ji So-yun strongly objected to an incident involving referee Bae Sun-young.
  • The referee reportedly argued that she had not used the word “menstruation,” prompting further criticism.

The fallout from an alleged sexual harassment incident involving Ji So-yun, one of women’s football’s leading players, has continued to grow. The Suwon FC Women star became involved in a heated dispute with referee Bae Sun-young during a 2026 WK League match.

Suwon FC Women beat Seoul City Hall 2-1 at Suwon Sports Complex on the 28th. The match was interrupted for about four minutes in the first half after Ji strongly protested to the referee.

The incident occurred in the 30th minute. A reported explanation from the referee, that she had not used the word “menstruation,” has itself drawn condemnation. The controversy has spread beyond the match and is now being treated as an alleged sexual harassment case involving one of South Korea’s best-known women footballers.

I did not use the word 'menstruation.'

— Bae Sun-youngThe referee’s reported explanation in the controversy involving Ji So-yun.
About this summary

Originally published by Chosun Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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