The Korea Professional Football League issued a stern warning to Gwangju FC head coach Lee Jeong-hyo (50) for pushing a player while reprimanding them on the ground. There was no referral to the Disciplinary Committee.
The Korea Professional Football League announced on the 9th, "We sent a formal letter warning Coach Lee Jeong-hyo sternly instead of referring him to the Disciplinary Committee." It added, "We understood the outline of the incident through the incident report submitted by the Gwangju club, and Coach Lee also acknowledged his social responsibilities, promising to prevent recurrence.
The controversial scene occurred on the 5th, during the K League 1 Round 12 match between Gwangju and Gimcheon Sangmu held at Gwangju World Cup Stadium on Children's Day. Just after the end of the first half, Coach Lee Jeong-hyo approached Oh Ju-seong, who had not yet made it to the bench, and expressed his dissatisfaction by grabbing his left arm and then pushing him strongly with both hands. This incident was broadcast live.
The League explained the background of the warning, stating, "In a match watched by many spectators, especially the act of violently pushing a player on the ground cannot be seen as an unavoidable situation," and "We considered the negative impact on the dignity and overall image of the league as a member of K League."
Coach Lee Jeong-hyo's behavior, unable to control his emotions in a public place, did not escape criticism of having 'excessive passion.' Later, he reportedly expressed his intention to apologize after a meeting with Oh Ju-seong and is said to have bowed to the team as well. Oh Ju-seong also stated, "We acknowledged each other's mistakes with the coach and ended our conversation with smiles."
Although the necessity of disciplinary action was raised, the league concluded the matter at the warning level.
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