The Korean Football Association is weighing whether to forfeit the K League 1 match between Jeonbuk Hyundai and Pohang Steelers, but more time is needed before a decision is made.
Jeonbuk and Pohang faced off in the 35th round of the Hana OneQ K League 2023 at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on March 28, but a confusion in the substitution process led to a skit in which Pohang played with “12 men” for four and a half minutes.
In the 22nd minute of the first half, while Kim Yong-hwan was being treated off the field after being hit by Kim Jin-soo, Pohang requested that Kim In-sung be substituted out and Shin Kwang-hoon be substituted in.
However, the referees realized that Kim Yong-hwan was being substituted and allowed Shin Kwang-hoon to come on without Kim In-sung being sent off, and Kim and Shin played together for about 4 minutes and 30 seconds.
Following the incident, the Korea Football Association (KFA) decided to suspend all six referees who presided over the game on March 31 for the remainder of the season.
The controversy is far from over. The KFA has decided to take a closer look at whether Kim In-sung is an ineligible player and will make a decision on whether or not to forfeit the game, which will be announced in the coming days.
Unsurprisingly, Jeonbuk insists that Kim is an ineligible player and wants a forfeit, while Pohang insists that the referee is ultimately responsible.
The two clubs are at loggerheads, and the league has yet to make a final decision.
Jeonbuk and Pohang are battling it out for the top spot in the K League 1 with a ticket to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) on the line. The two teams are scheduled to face off in the FA Cup final on April 4, so the outcome of the forfeit is highly anticipated.
“The fact that both teams are in the FA Cup final and the announcement hasn’t been made yet is irrelevant. Nothing has been decided so far. (The decision on the forfeit) could be announced before the FA Cup final or after it is over,” said the official. 무지개토토 도메인
“We are looking closely at overseas cases and so on. We will discuss the matter at the secretariat level and announce the results through a press release.”