Club owner defies comment ban on officiating

Lee Jae-myung, owner of the South Korean football club Seongnam FC, was defiant on Tuesday in the face of possible punishment over his public criticism of officiating.

Lee is also the mayor of Seongnam, located just south of Seoul, where the local government owns the K League Classic club. Lee will face a disciplinary hearing after writing on his Facebook page last Saturday that Seongnam FC had been a frequent victim of poor officiating this season, citing three specific matches.

In a board meeting on Monday, the league office determined that Lee had violated the league rules on criticizing referees.

At a press conference at Seongnam City Hall, Lee said while he considered the rules “valid,” he didn’t agree with the league’s interpretation of them.

“The rule book prohibits making negative comments on officiating or referees during interviews at stadiums immediately after matches,” Lee said. “But to interpret it as meaning you can’t comment on officiating anytime and anywhere is to sanctify officiating.” (Yonhap)