5 brilliant players who are simply too good to be playing in South Korea
Former Manchester United, Newcastle and Crystal Palace stars are among the brilliant footballers who are simply too good to be playing in South Korea.
The Korean League is one of the most competitive football divisions in Asia and plenty of big names have made an impact in the league during the last few decades.
Here are five players who caught our eye as we sifted through the squad lists of every club in the South Korean top flight.
Jesse Lingard
Starting with the most obvious pick, Lingard’s career had stalled considerably by the time he arrived at FC Seoul last year.
This is a man who had scored in an FA Cup final to win it for Manchester United, was crucial for England at the 2018 World Cup and lit up the Premier League on loan at West Ham.
A month after joining, J-Lingz was publicly called out by his manager, Kim Gi-dong for “lack of effort and physicality.”
He’s now back in action and has six K-League goals to his name. That’s more like it.
READ: Jesse Lingard getting trolled for his dance moves in South Korea might just be our highlight of 2024
Ki Sung-yeung
Teammates with Lingard is Ki Sung-yeung, Swansea’s 2015 Player of the Year and an esteemed Premier League star with 110 caps for South Korea.
Ki made his way into European football with Celtic in 2010 after beginning his professional career with FC Seoul, but is remembered best for his six years with the Swans where he won the League Cup.
Spells at Newcastle and Mallorca followed before he rejoined Seoul in 2020, where he remains today as the team’s elder statesman.
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Ji Dong-won
‘He’s round the goalkeeper… HE’S DONE IT!’
Manchester City would eventually go on to win the Premier League for the first time in 2011-12, but they were stunned along the way by Sunderland’s Ji in what remains one of the league’s most underrated moments and one of Martin Tyler’s finest hours.
Most of the South Korean striker’s European career was actually played in Germany, despite the iconic Premier League moment, but he returned to South Korea with FC Seoul in 2021 and now finds himself playing for FC Suwon at just 32, transferring at the beginning of 2024.
Lee Chung-yong
Another baller whose professional career began in Seoul, Lee enjoyed a fantastic career within the European game after being named as one of The Times’ top 50 rising stars in football back in 2009.
Lee is best remembered for his time at Bolton Wanderers, but the winger also enjoyed a strong stint at Crystal Palace as a Premier League regular.
His European career wound down in the 2. Bundesliga with VfL Bochum, before returning to his homeland in 2020 with Ulsan Hyundai.
Lee was instrumental as they won the K League in 2022, picking up the MVP Award and being named in the league’s best XI for his performances.
Won-sang Um
One of the most promising Korean players of his generation, Won is yet to play outside of his home country but is a winger blessed with tricky feet and an eye for goal.
His best goalscoring season came in 2022, netting 15 in 41 games for Ulsan HD, and the 25-year-old has won eight caps for South Korea. Could probably do a job in the Eredivisie or Belgian Pro League.