Choi Sung-kuk facts for kids
Choi with Suwon Samsung Bluewings in 2011
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Choi Sung-kuk | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 8 February 1983 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Seoul, South Korea | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Second striker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Korea University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i | 84 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | → Kashiwa Reysol (loan) | 8 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma | 49 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | → Gwangju Sangmu (draft) | 48 | (13) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 12 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 201 | (31) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | South Korea U17 | 6 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2003 | South Korea U20 | 20 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2006 | South Korea U23 | 40 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2011 | South Korea | 26 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Choi Sung-kuk | |
| Hangul |
최성국
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|---|---|
| Hanja |
崔成國
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| RR | Choe Seongguk |
| MR | Ch'oe Sŏngguk |
Choi Sung-kuk (born 8 February 1983) is a former South Korean footballer. He played as a second striker, which is a forward player who plays just behind the main striker. Choi was a talented player who represented his country in many important tournaments. His football career ended when he was banned from all football activities.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Choi Sung-kuk was born in Seoul, South Korea. He started playing football at Donggok Elementary School. When he played for Jeongmyeong High School, people noticed his amazing talent. They even called him "Korean Maradona" because he was so good. After high school, Choi studied at Korea University for two years.
Club Career Highlights
Starting with Ulsan Hyundai
Choi joined the K League club Ulsan Hyundai Horang-I on 27 February 2003. He quickly became a strong player in the professional league. In his first season, he scored seven goals. He was even considered for the K League Rookie of the Year award.
In 2004, Choi played for the Olympic team, which made it harder to focus on his club. He scored only one goal in 19 league games that year. In 2005, he was loaned to J1 League club Kashiwa Reysol in Japan for five months.
Success and Moving Clubs
The next year, Choi showed great improvement. He became the top goalscorer in the 2006 Korean League Cup. He also had a memorable game in the 2006 AFC Champions League against Al-Shabab. Choi helped Ulsan win 6–0 by breaking through the opponents' defense and scoring two goals. After the 2006 season, he moved to Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma.
In December 2008, Choi joined the military football team Gwangju Sangmu. This was part of his military duty in South Korea.
Final Club and Career End
Choi moved to Suwon Samsung Bluewings before the 2011 season. He signed a three-year contract and was even named the new captain for Suwon. However, his career soon faced a major challenge.
In August 2011, it was announced that Choi would no longer be able to play in any football leagues in South Korea. Later, in January 2012, FIFA (the international football organization) gave him a lifelong ban from all sports. This meant his professional football career came to an end.
International Career for South Korea
Youth National Teams
Choi Sung-kuk played for South Korea's national youth teams.
- He was part of the South Korean under-17 team for the 1998 AFC U-16 Championship. He scored two goals in six games.
- In 2002, he helped the South Korean under-23 team win a bronze medal at the Asian Games.
- He also won the 2002 AFC Youth Championship with the South Korean under-20 team.
Senior National Team
In March 2003, Choi was called up to the senior national team for the first time. He played his first game in a 0–0 draw against Colombia. He scored his first goal for the senior team in a 1–0 win against Oman in 2004.
Choi also played in the 2004 Summer Olympics, where South Korea reached the quarter-finals. He was part of South Korea's team for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. He scored a goal in the first match against Saudi Arabia. South Korea finished third in the tournament.
Personal Life and Later Activities
Choi Sung-kuk comes from a family of athletes. His mother, Kim Jae-young, was a gymnast. His father played field hockey in school. In December 2005, Choi married Kwak Seon-hye, and they had a child a year later.
After his football career ended, Choi worked as a clerk in a hospital. In April 2016, he started working as a commentator for a sports website called Spoplay.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i | 2003 | K League | 27 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 7 | ||
| 2004 | K League | 19 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 23 | 4 | ||
| 2005 | K League | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 1 | ||
| 2006 | K League | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 40 | 13 | |
| Total | 84 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 107 | 25 | ||
| Kashiwa Reysol | 2005 | J1 League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |
| Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma | 2007 | K League | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 36 | 6 |
| 2008 | K League | 18 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | — | 28 | 7 | ||
| 2010 | K League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 1 | |
| Total | 49 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 71 | 14 | ||
| Gwangju Sangmu (draft) | 2009 | K League | 26 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 28 | 9 | |
| 2010 | K League | 22 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 27 | 5 | ||
| Total | 48 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 55 | 14 | |||
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 2011 | K League | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 19 | 2 |
| Career total | 201 | 31 | 12 | 5 | 30 | 11 | 21 | 8 | 264 | 55 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 2003 | 4 | 1 |
| 2004 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 1 | 0 | |
| Career total | 26 | 2 | |
Honours and Awards
Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i
- K League 1: 2005
- Korean Super Cup: 2006
- A3 Champions Cup: 2006
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
- AFC Champions League: 2010
South Korea U20
- AFC Youth Championship: 2002
South Korea U23
- Asian Games bronze medal: 2002
South Korea
- AFC Asian Cup third place: 2007
Individual Awards
- Korean FA Cup top goalscorer: 2001
- K League All-Star: 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010
- Korean League Cup top goalscorer: 2006
- K League All-Star Game Most Valuable Player: 2008
See also
In Spanish: Choi Sung-kuk para niños
