GK Kim Hyung-geun..Jeju to crack down on the back door by recruiting …Special Entrance Ceremony at Seogwi-cho Porto [Official Announcement]
Jeju United has strengthened its crackdown on the back door by recruiting goalkeeper Kim Hyung-geun (28). The contract period is two years in total until 2024.
Kim Hyung-geun, a graduate of Yeungnam University, was a goalkeeper prospect who was selected for the South Korean U-22 national team led by head coach Shin Tae-yong in 2015. On 12 October of that year, he made his debut in a warm-up match against Australia (2–1 win). Although he was excluded from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics finals, he has been recognized for his potential by competing in good faith with Jeju’s No. 1 goalkeeper Kim Dong-joon.
Kim Hyung-geun made his professional debut by joining Busan I-Park in 2016. Since then, he has played in a total of 47 games in a total of four seasons until 2019. Kim Hyung-geun moved to Seoul E-Land ahead of the 2020 season. He played a total of 25 games until last season. Although he did not play in many games during his professional career, he showed enough ability when the opportunity came.
Kim Hyung-geun, who has a solid physique of 188cm and 78kg and has excellent build-up skills, is expected to make Jeju’s goal thicker with Kim Dong-joon, who met again as a competitor in good faith. Kim Hyung-geun said, “There is a good goalkeeper named Kim Dong-joon in Jeju. Participation is important, but it is important to inject healthy tension for the team’s development. “I have high expectations as it is my first experience in the first division,” he said.
Recruiting players who will take on a new challenge in Jeju in the 2023 season will be joined by soccer dreamers who dream of becoming future professional soccer players in Jeju. Prior to the announcement of the recruitment, the players will visit not only the school soccer team in Jeju Island but also the promising soccer players who visited Jeju Island for off-season training and participate in team training.
Following Yeon Je-woon (Jeju Seo Elementary School), Kim Seung-seop (Jeju Dong Elementary School), Yuri (Hwabuk Elementary School), and Lee Ki-hyuk (Joongmun Elementary School), who joined Jeju earlier, Kim Hyung-geun headed to Seogwipo Elementary School (hereinafter Seogwipo Elementary School). Seogwipo Elementary School Football Club (coach Jung Kwang-seok) was founded in 1963 and has achieved outstanding results, starting with the bronze medal at the National Youth Sports Festival and three consecutive white tiger soccer tournaments in the province.
Currently, all faculty members, players, and parents, including Principal Kim Sung-mi, are working together to regain their reputation in the past, and the team is looking forward to the future. Upon hearing the news, Kim Hyung-geun held a special joining ceremony as a daily goalkeeper coach, not just participating in team training to provide practical help to Seogwipo Elementary School.
Kim Hyung-geun transferred his know-how and skills to three promising goalkeepers at Seogwipo Elementary School. Under Kim Hyung-geun’s enthusiastic guidance, the promising goalkeepers gained confidence as well as improved their skills. Kim Hyung-geun’s sincerity did not stop here. After training, he proposed a penalty shoot-out match against all the soccer teams on the spot. I promised to buy a drink for the successful kicker.
The professional world is cold. Kim Hyung-geun showed a fantastic defense using only his feet and body. However, there were no winners or losers in the penalty shootout match. On the contrary, he lavished praise and applause on the promising soccer players who failed to score. Kim Hyung-geun’s real goal was not to get drunk on the joy of victory in front of his eyes, but to instill an unbroken mind in soccer dreamers. He also provided all the players with drinks that he had bet on.
Director Jeong Kwang-seok of Seogwipo Elementary School, who watched this, gave a thumbs up. Head coach Chung Kwang-seok said, “Kim Hyung-geun is a real professional. He taught me important lessons as well as careful coaching for my dream. It was a short time for our players, but it was an unforgettable moment,” he said. Kim Hyung-geun said, “I hope my sincerity will be conveyed to the dreamers of soccer. “It was a precious joining ceremony where my goal and dream grew even more,” he smiled.