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Kim Young-gwon facts for kids

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Kim Young-gwon
Mex-Kor (38) (cropped3).jpg
Kim with South Korea at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Date of birth (1990-02-27) 27 February 1990 (age 35)
Place of birth Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk, South Korea
Height 1.86 m
Playing position Centre-back
Club information
Current club Ulsan HD
Number 19
Youth career
2005–2008 Jeonju Technical High School [ko]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010 FC Tokyo 23 (0)
2011–2012 Omiya Ardija 40 (0)
2012–2018 Guangzhou Evergrande 91 (3)
2019–2021 Gamba Osaka 76 (1)
2022– Ulsan HD 89 (3)
National team
2008–2009 South Korea U20 20 (2)
2009–2012 South Korea U23 23 (0)
2009 South Korea Universiade 6 (0)
2009 South Korea (futsal)
2010– South Korea 112 (7)
Honours
Representing  South Korea
Men's football
Olympic Games
Bronze 2012 London Team
AFC Asian Cup
Silver 2015 Australia Team
Asian Games
Bronze 2010 Guangzhou Team
EAFF Championship
Gold 2015 China Team
Gold 2019 South Korea Team
Bronze 2013 South Korea Team
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 November 2024.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 5 September 2024
Kim Young-gwon
Hangul
김영권
Hanja
金英權
Revised Romanization Gim Yeonggwon
McCune–Reischauer Kim Yŏnggwŏn
IPA [ki.mjʌŋ.ɡwʌn] or [kim.jʌŋ.ɡwʌn]

Kim Young-gwon (Korean: 김영권; born on February 27, 1990) is a professional football player from South Korea. He plays as a centre-back for Ulsan HD and is also a key player for the South Korea national football team.

Kim Young-gwon's Early Life and Training

Kim Young-gwon grew up in Jeonju, South Korea. When he was in middle school, some coaches thought he was too small to be a professional footballer. However, things changed when Hong Myung-bo, a famous national youth team manager, visited Kim's high school. This visit inspired Kim to seriously consider a career in football.

Kim also played college football and futsal for Jeonju University. In 2009, he won the Futsal League of the Korea Football Association and was even the top scorer! Playing futsal helped him improve his football skills a lot.

Kim Young-gwon's Club Career Journey

In 2010, Kim Young-gwon started his professional football career. He joined J1 League team FC Tokyo in Japan. He scored his first goal from a free kick in a cup match against Kyoto Sanga FC. After his first season, he moved to Omiya Ardija because FC Tokyo was moved down to a lower league.

In July 2012, Kim made a big move to Chinese Super League team Guangzhou Evergrande. He became a very important player for them. During his first four years (2013-2016), Guangzhou Evergrande won four league titles and two AFC Champions Leagues! Kim was even chosen for the "Team of the Year" every year. Later, injuries and rule changes in the Chinese league made him play less.

After his time in China, Kim joined Gamba Osaka in Japan in 2019. He played there for three seasons before returning to South Korea. In 2022, he joined Ulsan HD, where he continues to play and has helped them win the K League 1 title multiple times.

Kim Young-gwon's International Football Career

Kim Young-gwon has played for South Korea in many different tournaments. His first international experience was at the Universiade in 2009.

He was a strong defender for the South Korean under-20 team at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He even scored a goal against the United States, which helped South Korea move to the next stage of the competition.

Kim also won a bronze medal with the South Korean under-23 team at the 2010 Asian Games.

Olympic and World Cup Appearances

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Kim and his team won South Korea's first-ever Olympic football medal, a bronze! He was seen as a standout player.

Kim was part of South Korea's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played in all the group matches. While the team didn't do well that year, his performance improved greatly in later tournaments.

At the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, Kim scored a goal in the semi-final against Iraq, helping South Korea reach the final. However, they lost to Australia in the final match.

Kim was again selected for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. This time, he played amazingly well and was a leader for the South Korean defense. In a famous match against Germany, he scored a goal in the last minutes, which helped knock out the defending world champions!

In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Kim scored a crucial goal against Portugal. This goal helped South Korea win the match and move on to the Round of 16. In that match against Brazil, Kim played his 100th game for the national team.

Kim Young-gwon's Personal Life

Kim Young-gwon got married to Park Se-jin in 2014. They have three children: a daughter and two sons. You might have seen Kim and his two older children on the TV show The Return of Superman, where they made guest appearances.

Kim Young-gwon's Achievements and Awards

Kim Young-gwon has won many awards and championships throughout his career:

  • With Jeonju University:

* Korean FA Futsal League: 2009 (He was also the top scorer!)

  • With Guangzhou Evergrande:

* Chinese Super League: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 * Chinese FA Cup: 2012, 2016 * Chinese FA Super Cup: 2016 * AFC Champions League: 2013, 2015

  • With Ulsan Hyundai:

* K League 1: 2022, 2023, 2024

  • With South Korea U23 (Under 23 Team):

* Summer Olympics bronze medal: 2012 * Asian Games bronze medal: 2010

  • With South Korea National Team:

* AFC Asian Cup runner-up: 2015 * EAFF Championship: 2015, 2019

  • Individual Awards:

* Chinese Super League Team of the Year: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 * EAFF Championship Best Defender: 2015 * AFC Champions League Dream Team: 2015 * Korean FA Player of the Year: 2015 * J1 League Fans' Best XI: 2020 * K League 1 Best XI: 2022, 2023 * K League 1 Most Valuable Player: 2023

Images for kids

See also

  • List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
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