South Korean Football Star Ji So-yun Addresses Referee Controversy

South Korean women's football star Ji So-yun stated on Monday that she intends to move past a controversy involving an insensitive remark allegedly made by a referee. The incident occurred during a WK League match two weeks ago while Ji was playing for Suwon FC Women. Ji accused referee Bae Sun-young of telling another official that Ji must be on her period because she had been sensitive from early on.

The Korea Football Association has opened disciplinary proceedings against Bae. The referee has denied using the word period and claimed she did not refer to any specific player. The Korea Pro-Footballer's Association noted that Bae later explained her words were directed at all players on the pitch, a justification the association said only generated more concerns about the perspective of referees.

Ji, who is the all-time leader in caps and goals for South Korea, expressed that her stature in the game allowed her to confront the referee, though she received a yellow card for arguing. She noted that a younger player might not have been able to respond. While Bae and a senior KFA official visited Ji to apologize in person, Ji stated she cannot say she accepted the apology because it felt like an attempt to explain the behavior rather than a sincere apology.

Ji said she hopes the incident leads to better education, communication, and respect between players and referees. She is now focusing on the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, where South Korea is pursuing its first ever gold medal.