The yellow card given to Suwon Samsung central defender Ko Jong-hyun for his elbow strike has been confirmed as a refereeing error, as the K League 2 leaders sit at the top of the second division.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) released its fifth refereeing briefing today, stating regarding an incident in the 23rd minute of the first half during the K League 2 Round 30 match between Suwon and Seongnam FC held at Tancheon Sports Complex in Seongnam on October 25, "The yellow card issued by the referee on the field was inappropriate, and a 'red card' for violent conduct was the correct decision."

Ko Jong-hyun struck Seongnam player Jung Seung-yong in the face with his elbow without challenging for the ball.

Referee Park Jong-ho judged the action as a "careless challenge" and issued a yellow card, while the video assistant referee (VAR) did not recommend an on-field review.

Article 12 of the Laws of the Game stipulates that if a player intentionally strikes an opponent on the head or face with the hand or arm when not challenging for the ball, and the force used is not negligible, it must be penalized as violent conduct.

The KFA judged that "Ko Jong-hyun's action of striking the face using his hand/arm (elbow) was unrelated to a ball contest, and neither the point of contact nor the intensity of the impact can be considered negligible."

It added, "As this case constitutes a 'clear and obvious error' in missing a direct red-card offense, the VAR should have also actively intervened by recommending an on-field review to the referee (a refereeing mistake)."

Suwon won the match 2 to 0, bolstered by Kang Hyun-mook's opening and winning goal in the 26th minute of the first half—three minutes after the incident—and an opponent own goal in the 42nd minute of the second half.
 
(Photo courtesy of Korea Professional Football League, Yonhap News)