It is unclear whether Yoon In-na, the longest-serving player on the Korean Women’s Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) tour, will be able to return to the sport after she was suspended for playing bogus golf at last year’s Korean Women’s Open but concealing it.

The KLPGA deliberated on a proposal to reduce Yoon’s discipline at its regular board meeting on Thursday and decided to discuss it again at the next board meeting in January next year.

Yoon In-na received a three-year ban from the Korea Golf Association in August last year, followed by a similar three-year ban from the KLPGA a month later.

She was banned from all tournaments (tour, seeding, and selection) organized or hosted by the KLPGA until September 2025.

However, after the Korea Golf Association reduced Yoon In-na’s ban to one year and six months in September, there were expectations that the KLPGA would also drastically reduce the disciplinary period, but it failed to cross the threshold of the board.

In the meantime, there were arguments both inside and outside the KLPGA that Yoon In-na had shown enough remorse through her self-restraint and social service activities, and that her punishment should be reduced to allow her to return to the field in order to promote the KLPGA Tour.

As a rookie last year, Yoon was one of the most popular players on the KLPGA Tour, drawing the biggest crowds with her fiery long game.

However, at the board meeting, there was a strong argument that Yoon should not be given a free pass for behavior that forgot the most important principle of golf, which is to play honestly.

However, the KLPGA did not dismiss the proposal to reduce her punishment, but decided to revisit the matter at the next board meeting, meaning that Yoon will still be able to return to the field for the 2024 season of the KLPGA Tour, which begins next April.

The KLPGA is expected to decide whether or not to reduce the discipline based on Yoon’s level of remorse and public opinion. 사설토토