Kim Joo-seong (57), secretary-general of the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF), represented the domestic professional soccer K-League in the 1980s and 1990s. He joined Busan Daewoo Royals in 1987 and scored 35 goals and 17 assists in 255 games over 12 seasons. He received the Rookie of the Year Award, Most Valuable Player (MVP), and more. He is the first permanently absent (No. 16) player in the K-League. He received the Asian Star Award, Asian Player of the Year, for three consecutive years (1989-91) selected by the International Foundation for Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).
Kim Joo-seong is the original K-League multiplayer. He showed off his versatile skills enough to be selected in the league’s best 11 across all positions, such as attacker, midfielder, and defender, excluding goalkeepers. Experts said, “Kim Joo-sung’s play was not only splendid but also explosive. That is why he is an icon of the K-League.” He also participated in the FIFA World Cup three times (1986 Mexico, 1990 Italy, 1994 USA).
Kim Joo-seong had a strong personality, especially when he fluttered his long hair and stirred the ground. That’s why the nicknames attached are ‘Wild Horse of the Ground’ and ‘Samson of Asia’. Kim Joo-seong, who recently met with this magazine, said, “As a professional player, I saw it as providing something to see with my own personality. He laughed, saying, “Especially, he was well received by the younger generation.”
Kim Joo-seong is a late-stage plastic surgery player. When he was in high school, he wasn’t considered a top player. Born and raised in Seoul, he went on to Chosun University in Gwangju. After entering college, Kim Joo-sung devoted himself to individual training and team training from morning till late at night. Kim Joo-seong said, “I was not a famous player until I entered university. That’s when he decided that ‘he must be athletic crazy’. He looked back and said, “I bet everything on exercise and training.
Kim Joo-seong, who played on the left flank, was his speed. While studying at Chosun University, he lifted his ball and climbed the stairs to train his lower body muscles. Even after his pro success, he did not miss out on lower body training such as cross country and jumping rope. Kim Joo-seong said, “The long-term and steady efforts to polish his basic skills have greatly helped his breakthrough, ball keeping, and dribbling abilities.”
Kim Joo-seong said, “Fans liked the space breakthrough using fast speed. “Kim Joo-seong is dynamic and has an image of breaking down the opponent’s defense with a one-on-one breakthrough based on speed,” he said. It is my wish to be remembered as a player who performed flashy dribbles at high speed.” 안전놀이터
Kim Joo-sung is one of the best midfielders in K-League history. He was selected as the best 11 of the K-League season in each of the striker, midfielder, and defender, but his main position was left attacking midfielder. Kim Joo-seong also said, “As an attacking player, the splendor and desire to achieve were two to three times higher than in other positions. When he played as a midfielder, Joo-Sung Kim’s football was the most spectacular. He pointed out that he was the driving force that made football happy.”
Ahn “Terius” Ahn Jung-hwan (47) revealed that his idol was Kim Joo-seong. The two have one thing in common: long hair and brilliant attacking football. Kim Joo-seong, who heard this story, said, “I am very grateful (to me) that Ahn Jung-hwan thought of me as a role model and spent his youth. He was roommates with Ahn Jung-hwan, a rookie player during his Daewoo days. Since the juniors are doing well, it is a greater joy than when I scored a goal,” he laughed.
There was nothing rough about the treatment of Kim Joo-sung as the main player. While Kim Joo-seong was playing, Daewoo won the league three times, including the time at Busan I-Park. In 1991, from the 7th to the 27th round, they recorded 21 consecutive games undefeated (13 wins, 8 losses) and confirmed the league championship early. In 1997, he won the regular league, Adidas Cup, and Prospecs Cup. There was no team comparable to Daewoo in the K-League at the time.
Based on his performance in Daewoo, which formed a luxurious corps as a star player, Kim Joo-seong became the ‘face of the K-League’. It was a great reversal of Kim Joo-sung, who was unknown until high school. Kim Joo-seong said, “Isn’t soccer a sport played alone? The reason I stood out (especially at Daewoo) was thanks to the results I made while playing with the best players in the pro league. (Daewoo at the time) was very good at organizing and cooperating,” he lowered his body.
Kim Joo-seong, who is busy as a football administrator, makes time to meet with his colleagues from his Daewoo days. It is said that he made a custom-made commemorative uniform, which is the same as the player’s days, with the meaning of maintaining a long friendship. Kim Joo-seong said, “I still feel very excited when I recall the memory of Busan citizens passionately supporting Daewoo Royals. He was very much loved by his fans. I am very grateful,” he said.
Lastly, Kim Joo-seong said, “While playing as a ‘one club man’ in the K-League, his first professional game, his retirement game, and the games that confirmed his league championship remain in his memory. I played in Daewoo, which was made up of good players, and the fact that I had a parent company that gave full support was the basis for me to perform well in the K-League. The Busan citizens who gathered at Gudeok Stadium in Busan whenever there was a home game were also a great source of strength.”
