DistantNews
Support us
Referee's 'Is she menstruating?' comment sparks controversy in women's football match
🇰🇷 South Korea /Sports

Referee's 'Is she menstruating?' comment sparks controversy in women's football match

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

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

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A referee in a South Korean women's professional football match allegedly made an inappropriate comment about a player's menstruation.
  • The player protested the remark and received a yellow card, which will cause her to miss the next match due to accumulated cards.
  • The club plans to formally report the incident to the Korea Women's Football Federation, which has stated it will investigate the matter.

A controversy has erupted in South Korea's Women's Championship (WK) League following allegations that a referee made an inappropriate comment about a player's menstrual cycle during a match. The incident occurred on October 28th during a game between Suwon FC and Seoul City.

She's sensitive from the start. She must be menstruating.

— Bae Seon-youngAlleged remark made by the referee to player Ji So-yun during a match.

According to Suwon FC, player Ji So-yun (35) claims that during the match, after she protested an opponent's foul, the referee, identified as Bae Seon-young, remarked, "She's sensitive from the start. She must be menstruating."

What did you just say? Making such remarks is grounds for disciplinary action.

— Ji So-yunPlayer Ji So-yun's reported protest to the referee after hearing the remark.

Ji So-yun stated that upon hearing the comment, she protested to the referee, saying, "What did you just say? Making such remarks is grounds for disciplinary action." She alleges that the referee then issued her a yellow card. This caution, accumulated with previous ones, means Ji So-yun will be suspended for the next match.

She's sensitive from the start. She must be menstruating.

— Ji So-yunPlayer Ji So-yun's account of the referee's remark.

Reports indicate that Referee Bae initially denied making the comment but later explained it as a remark made "among ourselves" (referring to the referees). The specific details of the incident and whether disciplinary action will be taken against the referee are pending the results of an investigation by the league. Suwon FC plans to formally file a complaint with the Korea Women's Football Federation, which has pledged to investigate the claims.

She's sensitive from the start. She must be menstruating.

— Ji So-yunPlayer Ji So-yun's account of the referee's remark.
About this summary

Originally published by Dong-A 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.

More Stories

From Our Blog