Among Asian football nations, South Korea is one of the most successful. They have earned their place in the world of football by showcasing the outstanding skills of the best Korean players in top leagues around the world, including the Premier League. Today let's explore wintips.com list of top best Korean soccer player with names like Cha Bum Kun, Park Ji Sung,...
Top 8 best Korean soccer player
1. Lee Woon-jae
We begin our list of legendary Korean football players with Lee Woon-jae, a former Korean football goalkeeper. He participated in four consecutive FIFA World Cups in 1994, 2002, 2006, and 2010, matching Mark Schwarzer's record for World Cup appearances. One of Lee's standout performances was during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where he played all 7 matches including the third-place playoff. In this tournament, Lee kept clean sheets in 3 matches against Spain, Poland, and Portugal.
In the memorable quarter-final match between South Korea and Spain, Lee made history. With the match ending in a draw, it went into a penalty shootout where Lee Woon-jae put on an extraordinary display, saving all 4 of Spain's penalty kicks and helping his team win 5-3 in the shootout.
2. Huh Jung-moo
Next on the list of legendary Korean football players is Huh Jung-moo, a 66-year-old former Korean midfielder. Huh was a versatile player, capable of playing as an attacking midfielder, defensive midfielder, forward, winger, and full-back. With his exceptional talent, Jung-moo undoubtedly deserves a spot on the list of Korea's football legends.
Huh Jung-moo's explosive playing style earned him the nickname "Jindogae," inspired by a breed of hunting dog native to Korea. After graduating, he moved to play for the Korea Electric Power FC and later served his military duty. Huh Jung-moo played internationally for 12 years and won two gold medals at the Asian Games. After retiring, Huh pursued a coaching career with POSCO Atoms in 1991-1992.
3. Lee Hoe-taik
Lee Hoe-taik is a former Korean professional footballer and a renowned name on the list of Korea's football legends. His nickname "The Leopard" reflects his agility, extreme speed, and powerful shots. Lee was known for his ability to create opportunities and deliver accurate passes to teammates. Therefore, whenever he was on the field, he was the midfield conductor.
Throughout his career, representing the national team 81 times, he scored 21 goals and won 8 Asian-level titles. Lee's outstanding playing style and exquisite technique made him one of Korea's top strikers. His contributions to Korean football are truly deserving of a place among the legends.
4. Hwang Sun-hong
Currently the head coach of Daejeon Hana Citizen, Hwang Sun-hong is one of Korea's football legends, renowned as the best forward in Korea during the 1990s and early 2000s. Before entering the professional football world, he went to Germany to learn about professional football. Joining Bayer Leverkusen's reserve team, Hwang played 10 times in the first half of the season in Oberliga Nordrhein, scoring 10 goals.
The 1995 K League season was considered Hwang's peak period, where he scored 11 goals and made 6 assists in 24 appearances. He also set a record of scoring in 8 consecutive matches. Playing 25 matches in the J1 League, Hwang scored 24 goals, winning the foreign league's top scorer award. At the end of 2003, Hwang retired and began his coaching career.
5. Son Heung-min
Son Heung-min is an unmissable name among Korea's football legends. Though still actively playing, Son Heung-min's achievements undoubtedly secure his place on this list. His talent shines through as a forward for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, deserving a spot among Korea's most famous footballers.
His accolades include Premier League Player of the Month, PFA Fans' Premier League Player of the Month, and AFC International Player of the Year. Son has played for 4 clubs: Hamburger SV II, Hamburger SV, Bayer Leverkusen, and Tottenham, participating in 448 matches and scoring 157 goals. One of Son's notable performances was scoring 4 goals in a match against Southampton in the 2020-21 season.
6. Kim Joo-sung
Considered one of Asia's greatest players of the 20th century, Kim Joo-sung secured his place among Korea's football legends due to his superb playing style. This talented player often played as a winger, though he could also perform well as an attacking midfielder and a defensive midfielder. Joo-sung had a professional career at Chosun University, Daewoo, and Vfl Bochum in the German Bundesliga.
At the age of 22, Kim participated in the 1988 Asian Cup, leading the Korean national team to the final. Although Korea lost to Saudi Arabia on penalties in the final, Kim's outstanding performance earned him the Man of the Match award. Another achievement was leading Korea to top the Asian qualifiers for the 1990 World Cup.
7. Park Ji-sung
The next entry on this list is Park Ji-sung. Now 42 years old, Park Ji-sung, the Korean ambassador for the club he played for from 2005 to 2012, Manchester United. With his peak career at MU, he undoubtedly deserves a place among Korea's football legends. His exceptional physical fitness defined his outstanding career.
Park's career history is filled with achievements proving him worthy of being one of Korea's football legends. Notably, he won the UEFA Champions League, reached the UEFA Champions League final, and won the FIFA Club World Cup, becoming the first Asian to win the Champions League.
Park Ji-sung's enduring stamina earned him the nickname "Three-Lunged Man." After playing for Myongji University, Park moved to Japan to play for Kyoto Purple Sanga. His performance at PSV in the 2004-05 UEFA Champions League semi-final caught the attention of Manchester United's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, leading to the rest being history for an Asian player.
8. Cha Bum-Kun
Finally, the last entry on the list of Korea's football legends is Cha Bum-Kun. Scoring 58 goals for the Korean national team, he became the all-time leading goal scorer and won the Asian Games in 1978. Making 100 international appearances at just 24 years and 139 days old, Cha Bum-Kun became the youngest player to achieve this feat. Upon reaching the pinnacle of his domestic career, he moved to Germany to play for Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen.
Cha Bum-Kun excelled in the Bundesliga for both clubs, scoring 121 goals and winning a UEFA Cup with each team. In 1991, after retiring, he began his coaching career with Hyundai Horang. That was the glorious and truly great career of Korea's number one football legend.
Conclude
Above is a list of the best Korean soccer player. They are all outstanding people and names that Korea has produced. Typical faces bring both Korean football in particular and Asian football in general to the world. Surely in the future there will be more famous young talents. But surely these names will forever be in the hearts of football fans in the land of kimchi.
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