Park Chu-young facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about a footballer. For the long-distance runner, see Park Ju-young.

Quick facts for kids
Park Chu-young

Park with FC Seoul in 2016

Personal information

Date of birth

10 July 1985 (age 39)

Place of birth

Daegu, South Korea

Height

1.82m

Playing position

Forward

Club information

Current club

Ulsan HD

Number

Youth career

2001–2003

Cheonggu High School [ko]

2002

→ Zico Football Center

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

2005–2008

FC Seoul

(23)

2008–2011

Monaco

(25)

2011–2014

Arsenal

(0)

2012–2013

→ Celta Vigo (loan)

(3)

2014

→ Watford (loan)

(0)

2014–2015

Al-Shabab

(1)

2015–2021

FC Seoul

186

(42)

2022–

Ulsan HD

(0)

National team

2003–2005

South Korea U20

(18)

2006–2012

South Korea U23

(12)

2005–2014

South Korea

(24)

Honours

Men's football

Representing South Korea
Olympic Games
Bronze	2012 London	Team
Asian Games
Bronze	2010 Guangzhou	Team
AFC Youth Championship
Gold	2004 Malaysia	Team
EAFF Championship
Gold	2008 China	Team

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 November 2024.

† Appearances (Goals).

Park Chu-young
Hangul	박주영
Hanja	朴主永
Revised Romanization	Bak Ju-yeong
McCune–Reischauer	Pak Chu-yŏng

In this Korean name, the family name is Park.

Park Chu-young (Hangul: 박주영; Hanja: 朴主永; Korean pronunciation: [pak̚.t͈ɕu.jʌŋ]; also romanised as Park Ju-young; born 10 July 1985) is a South Korean footballer who plays for Ulsan HD as a forward.

Club career

FC Seoul

In February 2005, Park joined a K League club FC Seoul with the highest salary among rookie players. In his first season, he scored 18 goals and provided 4 assists in 30 appearances (including the Korean League Cup), receiving the K League Young Player of the Year award by common consent for the first time in K League history. In the 2007 season, he played only 15 games due to his on-and-off foot injury. He also missed the FC Seoul's friendly match with Manchester United during the time of his injury.

Monaco

On 1 September 2008, Park completed a move to Monaco. On 13 September, he scored on his debut against Lorient in the 26th minute. In the 2nd half, he assisted his teammate Frédéric Nimani's goal before being substituted. The game ended 2–0, and Park was named as the Man of the Match. In his first season at Monaco, he went on to make 31 appearances, scoring five times.

In his second season at Monaco, Park scored three goals in the first half of the season. On 30 January 2010, Park signed a three-year contract with Monaco that would keep him until 2013. Despite having three injuries during the season, Park remained on the first team, as he scored eight goals in twenty-seven appearances.

His last season at Monaco gave him mixed results. Park scored five goals in the first half of the season. But then, after scoring against Sochaux, Park celebrated, which resulted him injuring his right knee and kept him out for four weeks. On 13 February 2011, Park scored his seventh goal of the season in a 3–1 win over Lorient. Thirteen days later, Park scored a brace in a 2–2 home draw over Caen. He made a good display in the 2010–11 season, scoring twelve league goals, the club, however, was relegated to Ligue 2 after finishing 18th place in the league. The relegation led Park to announce his desire to leave Monaco to play in a competitive league. This was followed up by the club, who stated they wouldn't stand in Park's way from leaving the club.

Arsenal

Park Chu-young at Arsenal

In somewhat strange circumstances on 30 August 2011, English Premier League club Arsenal signed Park. It is believed Chu-Young became aware of Arsenal's interest and departed his hotel room without finishing a medical with the Ligue 1 club Lille. He was given the number 9 shirt. On 25 October 2011, he scored his first goal for Arsenal in the fourth round of the Football League Cup in a 2–1 home win against Bolton Wanderers On 1 November, Chu-young started his first UEFA Champions League match, a 0–0 draw against French outfit Marseille. On 22 January 2012, he made his Premier league debut as a substitute, coming on at 82 minutes into a 2–1 home defeat against Manchester United. On 6 March 2012, he made an appearance as a substitute for Theo Walcott in the Champions League, in the 3–0 win against Milan at the Emirates Stadium, though Milan won 4–3 on aggregate.

On 8 August 2012, it was confirmed that the forward had been reassigned the number 30 shirt, with new signing Lukas Podolski taking over the number 9. Following a loan spell at Celta Vigo, Park was advised by newly national coach Hong Myung-bo to leave the club if Park was to remain in the national team. Park did not play a game for Arsenal for another 14 months until 30 October 2013 when he came on as a substitute for Aaron Ramsey on the 81st minute against Chelsea in the League Cup. Arsenal lost the game 2–0. Although there was a discussion of a possible loan move to Wigan Athletic, the deal never materialized.

From that point forward, Park did not make any further appearances in the league with the first team. Park was released by the club on a free transfer on 30 June 2014. As a result of his flop at Arsenal, Daily Telegraph reporter John Duerden would compare Park move to Arsenal as "the worst call to answer since Colin Farrell picked up a New York public phone in Phone Booth and endured a few hours of misery."

Loan spells

Amidst reported interest from Blackburn Rovers and Al-Hilal and rumours of being linked to Nottingham Forest, on 31 August 2012, Park moved to Celta de Vigo on a season-long loan from Arsenal for the 2012–13 La Liga season. He was given the number 18 shirt. On 22 September 2012, he scored his first goal in his home debut in a 2–1 victory over Getafe, becoming the first South Korean player ever to score a goal in La Liga. Park would then score two more goals against Mallorca and Deportivo de La Coruña in the Galician derby. Park would injure his right foot, which put him the end to this season and went on to score three goals in twenty one appearance.

On 31 January 2014, Park was loaned to Championship side Watford for the remainder of the 2013–14 season. Park made his Watford debut as a 90th-minute substitute for Fernando Forestieri in the 2–0 win against Brighton & Hove Albion on 2 February 2014 and then made his first start for Watford in a 2–0 away loss against Bolton Wanderers on 22 February 2014 before he came off in the second half. However, Park only made two appearances for the club after sustaining injuries to his thigh and toe.

Al-Shabab

Despite his intention to stay in Europe after being released by Arsenal, Park joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab on 1 October 2014, signing a one-year contract. Park scored on his debut, in a 1–0 victory against Al-Hilal on 17 October 2014.

Return to FC Seoul

Park returned to FC Seoul on 10 March 2015. On 6 November 2016, he scored the only goal for FC Seoul in a 1–0 away victory against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the final round of the season, helping his team to win the 2016 K League 1.

International career

Youth career

Park Chu-young was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the 2004 AFC Youth Championship after leading the South Korean under-20 team to the title. In the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, he scored a goal with a free kick against Nigeria. He also participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics with the under-23 team, scoring a free kick again against Cameroon.

2010 World Cup

Park Chu-young was South Korea's first-choice striker in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He scored an own goal in a 4–1 defeat to Argentina, but Park redeemed himself by scoring a crucial free kick in a 2–2 draw with Nigeria. In the round of 16, Park's free kick just before halftime struck Uruguay's post, and South Korea eventually lost 2–1.

2010 Asian Games

Park, along with Kim Jung-woo, was called to the under-23 team to participate in the 2010 Asian Games held in Guangzhou. The team was led by former national team captain Hong Myung-bo. Park did not play in the first game against North Korea, which ended in a 1–0 loss. He came off the bench in the next game against Jordan, which South Korea won 4–0. He started the last group game against Palestine, in which he scored the second goal in the 3–0 victory before being substituted. South Korea advanced to the knockout round, having finished second place in Group C with six points. In their next match against China, Park played the entire game, scoring a goal in the 50th minute to help South Korea to a 3–0 win. In the quarterfinal match against Uzbekistan, Park was once again influential in leading Korea to victory. Park scored his third goal of the tournament a few minutes into the first period of extra time, after the teams played to a 1–1 draw in normal time. South Korea eventually won the game 3–1, and Park was substituted in the 108th minute. Although Park played in the semifinal match against UAE, he was unable to find the net and South Korea lost 1–0 after UAE scored in the last minute of extra time. In the bronze medal game against Iran, Park scored his fourth goal of the tournament. With South Korea trailing 3–1, Park tapped in the ball from a cross to bring the score to 3–2. South Korea eventually won 4–3 to secure the bronze medal, with two goals from Ji Dong-won.

2011 Asian Cup

Although Park had been listed on the roster for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, he was unable to participate due to an injury and was replaced on the roster by Ji Dong-won. Following the tournament, he was named captain of the national team to replace the retiring Park Ji-sung. But in 2012, newly appointed head coach Choi Kang-hee named Lee Jung-soo as captain of the national side, replacing Park Chu-young.

2012 Summer Olympics

In October 2011, Park announced that he would have to leave Arsenal in two years' time to serve in the military, which would halt his football career. In March 2012, however, the South Korean Military Manpower Administration announced that Park could postpone his service until 2022, because he qualified for a long-term residency in Monaco. This meant that his mandatory military service was exempted under South Korean law, which requires military service only from domestic men under the age of 35. When controversy over his postponement of military service erupted, he denied avoiding conscription and promised to fulfill his obligation.

Park was selected for the South Korean Olympic team as an over-aged player by the manager Hong Myung-bo, participating in the 2012 Summer Olympics. He scored the opening goal in a group match against Switzerland, contributing to a crucial victory towards the quarter-finals. In the bronze medal match against Japan, he scored the winning goal with a solo effort against three Japanese defenders. Olympic medalists could be exempted from the military service in South Korea, and so he was honorably exempted from it with his effort.

2014 World Cup

Despite not playing regular first-team football for several years, Park was included in the South Korea national squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played in the matches against Russia and Algeria. His performances were heavily criticized, particularly because he registered no shots on target in either match. He was replaced by Kim Shin-wook for the team's final match against Belgium. The other South Korean players who won a bronze medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics also did not perform well in the manager's set-up.

Personal life

Park is a Christian. He writes "Jesus Christ" next to his autograph and has spoken about his faith saying, "The first and main reason why I play football is to evangelise people."

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
FC Seoul	2005	K League	19	12	2	0	11	6	—		—		32	18
	2006	K League	26	7	2	2	4	1	—		—		32	10
	2007	K League	11	2	1	0	3	3	—		—		15	5
	2008	K League	13	2	0	0	4	0	—		—		17	2
	Total		69	23	5	2	22	10	—		—		96	35
Monaco	2008–09	Ligue 1	31	5	3	0	1	0	—		—		35	5
	2009–10	Ligue 1	27	8	5	1	1	0	—		—		33	9
	2010–11	Ligue 1	33	12	0	0	2	0	—		—		35	12
	Total		91	25	8	1	4	0	—		—		103	26
Arsenal	2011–12	Premier League	1	0	0	0	3	1	2	0	—		6	1
	2013–14	Premier League	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	—		1	0
	Total		1	0	0	0	4	1	2	0	—		7	1
Celta Vigo (loan)	2012–13	La Liga	22	3	4	1	—		—		—		26	4
Watford (loan)	2013–14	Championship	2	0	0	0	—		—		—		2	0
Al-Shabab	2014–15	Saudi Pro League	7	1	0	0	—		—		—		7	1
FC Seoul	2015	K League 1	23	7	1	2	—		0	0	—		24	9
	2016	K League 1	34	10	5	0	—		10	1	—		49	11
	2017	K League 1	34	8	1	0	—		4	2	—		39	10
	2018	K League 1	20	3	0	0	—		—		2	1	22	4
	2019	K League 1	35	10	1	2	—		—		—		36	12
	2020	K League 1	23	4	2	1	—		6	4	—		31	9
	2021	K League 1	17	0	0	0	—		—		—		17	0
	Total		186	42	10	5	—		20	7	2	1	218	55
Ulsan Hyundai	2022	K League 1	6	0	1	0	—		4	1	—		11	1
Career total			384	94	28	9	30	11	26	8	2	1	470	123

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
South Korea	2005	6	2
	2006	14	3
	2008	9	5
	2009	9	3
	2010	10	2
	2011	9	8
	2012	3	0
	2013	1	0
	2014	7	1
Career total		68	24

Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Park goal.

List of international goals scored by Park Chu-young
No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	3 June 2005	Tashkent, Uzbekistan	1	Uzbekistan	1–1	1–1	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
2	8 June 2005	Kuwait City, Kuwait	2	Kuwait	1–0	4–0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	21 January 2006	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	8	Greece	1–1	1–1	Friendly
4	25 January 2006	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	9	Finland	1–0	1–0	Friendly
5	1 March 2006	Seoul, South Korea	15	Angola	1–0	1–0	Friendly
6	17 February 2008	Chongqing, China	23	China	1–0	3–2	2008 EAFF Championship
7	17 February 2008	Chongqing, China	23	China	2–2	3–2	2008 EAFF Championship
8	31 May 2008	Seoul, South Korea	25	Jordan	2–0	2–2	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
9	7 June 2008	Amman, Jordan	26	Jordan	1–0	1–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
10	19 November 2008	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	29	Saudi Arabia	2–0	2-0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
11	6 June 2009	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	33	United Arab Emirates	1–0	2–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
12	12 August 2009	Seoul, South Korea	36	Paraguay	1–0	1-0	Friendly
13	5 September 2009	Seoul, South Korea	37	Australia	1–0	3–1	Friendly
14	24 May 2010	Saitama, Japan	39	Japan	2–0	2–0	Friendly
15	23 June 2010	Durban, South Africa	44	Nigeria	2–1	2–2	2010 FIFA World Cup
16	25 March 2011	Seoul, South Korea	50	Honduras	3–0	4–0	Friendly
17	3 June 2011	Seoul, South Korea	51	Serbia	1–0	2–1	Friendly
18	2 September 2011	Goyang, South Korea	54	Lebanon	1–0	6–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
19					2–0
20					4–0
21	7 September 2011	Kuwait City, Kuwait	55	Kuwait	1–0	1–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
22	11 October 2011	Suwon, South Korea	56	United Arab Emirates	1–0	2–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
23	11 November 2011	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	57	United Arab Emirates	2–0	2–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
24	5 March 2014	Athens, Greece	62	Greece	1–0	2–0	Friendly