Seoul: A referee in the top domestic football league received a three-month ban from the sport's national governing body Thursday for giving an unauthorized media interview on a controversial on-field exchange with a coach.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korea Football Association (KFA) announced that K League referee Kim Woo-seong will be prohibited from officiating any professional, semi-professional, or collegiate matches over the next three months. The suspension, which began on Tuesday, is set to last until March 15, 2026.
Kim's penalty stems from a violation of a KFA rule that forbids referees from discussing officiating matters in media interviews without prior authorization from the national federation. The controversy arose from an interview published on December 2, in which Kim elaborated on an incident with then Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors assistant coach Mauricio Taricco during a K League 1 match on November 8.
During the match, a heated exchange occurred after Taricco felt Kim missed a call, leading to Taricco's ejection via a red card. Taricco then made a gesture that Kim perceived as racist, prompting Kim to report the incident to the K League's disciplinary committee. The committee subsequently suspended Taricco for five matches and imposed a fine of 20 million won (US$13,530). Despite Taricco's claims of no racist intent and his resignation after his appeal was denied, the controversy persisted.
In the interview, Kim reiterated his stance on Taricco's gesture being racist and pointed to the coach's resignation as an acknowledgment of wrongdoing. This situation has sparked discontent among fans, who are critical of both Kim and the K League. Fans argue that the gesture was not racist and criticize the league for failing to address broader officiating quality issues.
Responding to criticism that the timing of Kim's three-month ban-during the K League offseason-amounts to a mere slap on the wrist, the KFA emphasized that referees often officiate non-K League matches during winter months for additional income. Kim will not be eligible for these assignments until his suspension ends in March.