Seo Jung-won Facts for Kids

In this Korean name, the family name is Seo.

Quick facts for kids
Seo Jung-won

Personal information

Full name

Seo Jung-won

Date of birth

17 December 1970 (age 54)

Place of birth

Gwangju, Gyeonggi, South Korea

Height

1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)

Position(s)

Winger

Team information

Current team

Chengdu Rongcheng (head coach)

College career

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

1988–1991

Korea University

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

1992–1997

Anyang LG Cheetahs

(13)

1994–1995

→ Sangmu FC (draft)

1998

Strasbourg

(4)

1999–2004

Suwon Samsung Bluewings

143

(36)

2005

Austria Salzburg

(2)

2005–2007

SV Ried

(9)

Total

292

(64)

International career

1988

South Korea U20

(1)

1991–1992

South Korea U23

(10)

1990–2001

South Korea

(16)

Managerial career

2013–2018

Suwon Samsung Bluewings

2021–

Chengdu Rongcheng

Medal record

Men's football

Representing South Korea
Asian Games
Bronze	1990 Beijing	Team

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Seo Jung-won
Hangul	서정원
Hanja	徐正源
RR	Seo Jeongwon
MR	Sŏ Chŏngwŏn

Seo Jung-won, born on December 17, 1970, is a football manager and a former player from South Korea. He is currently the head coach for the Chinese Super League team, Chengdu Rongcheng.

Seo Jung-won's Playing Career
Seo Jung-won's Managerial Career
- Coaching the National Team
- Managing Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Personal Life
Honours
- Player Achievements
- Manager Achievements
See also

Seo Jung-won's Playing Career

Early Career and Nickname

Seo Jung-won was a very fast player, known as a winger. A winger is a player who plays on the sides of the field to attack. Because of his speed, he was nicknamed "Nalssaendori." This Korean word means an "agile man."

Olympic and World Cup Appearances

Seo played for the South Korean under-23 team in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He scored a goal against Sweden during this competition. After his great performance, big European clubs like FC Barcelona reportedly wanted to sign him. However, he stayed in South Korea to complete his two years of mandatory military service. He also played for South Korea in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. In that tournament, he scored a goal that helped his team draw 2–2 with Spain.

Playing in Europe

After his military service, Seo Jung-won really wanted to play football in Europe. He went to Germany and the Netherlands for tryouts with different teams. In the summer of 1997, he signed a contract with the Portuguese club Benfica. He played in four pre-season games for them. However, the Korea Football Association did not approve his move overseas. They wanted him to stay in South Korea to help the national team qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

In January 1998, Seo joined the French club Strasbourg. This made him the first South Korean and fourth Asian player to play in Ligue 1, France's top football league. He helped his team stay in Ligue 1 during his first season. But in the next season, a new manager took over, and Seo played less. He also played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup that summer. Unfortunately, he had chickenpox at the time, which he caught from his son. South Korea was eliminated in the group stage, and Seo's performance was not as strong.

Return to South Korea and Austria

In February 1999, Seo Jung-won returned to South Korea. He joined Suwon Samsung Bluewings, a very successful club. He helped Suwon win 12 trophies over six years. These included two Asian Club Championships, which is a major club competition in Asia.

Later, he played for Austria Salzburg and SV Ried in Austria. While playing in the Austrian Bundesliga, he was considered one of the best footballers in Austria. Two media outlets, Kurier and Sportwoche [de], praised his skills.

Seo Jung-won's Managerial Career

Coaching the National Team

After South Korea's national team coach resigned in 2007, Seo Jung-won was considered for the job. From 2009 to 2010, he worked as a coach for the South Korea under-20 and under-23 teams. He worked alongside his friend and former teammate, Hong Myung-bo. In 2010, Seo joined the coaching staff for the senior national team.

Managing Suwon Samsung Bluewings

Since 2012, Seo has been part of the coaching staff for Suwon Samsung Bluewings. In 2013, he became the club's manager. Under his leadership, the Bluewings finished as runner-ups in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

He also led them to win the Korean FA Cup in 2016. The FA Cup Final was very exciting because it was against FC Seoul, one of Suwon's biggest rivals. The game went into extra time after FC Seoul scored a goal in the 93rd minute. The total score over two games became 3–3. After extra time with no more goals, the winner was decided by penalty kicks. Suwon Samsung Bluewings won 10–9. This was Seo's first major trophy as a manager.

Personal Life

Seo Jung-won got married in 1995. He has three sons. His third son, Seo Dong-han, also became a football player and played as a forward for Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

Honours

Player Achievements

Anyang LG Cheetahs

Korean League Cup runner-up: 1992

Sangmu FC

Korean Semi-professional League (Spring): 1994

Suwon Samsung Bluewings

K League 1: 1999, 2004
Korean FA Cup: 2002
Korean League Cup: 1999+, 2000, 2001
Korean Super Cup: 1999, 2000
Asian Club Championship: 2000–01, 2001–02
Asian Super Cup: 2001, 2002

SV Ried

UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006

South Korea National Team

Asian Games bronze medal: 1990
Dynasty Cup: 1990

Individual Awards

Asian Games top goalscorer: 1990
K League All-Star: 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003
K League 1 Best XI: 1999, 2001, 2002
Asian Super Cup Most Valuable Player: 2001
Korean FA Cup Most Valuable Player: 2002
K League 30th Anniversary Best XI: 2013

Manager Achievements