Sports

From Korea to the Premier League: Two decades of the supply chain

From Korea to the Premier League: Two decades of the supply chain
From Korea to the Premier League: Two decades of the supply chain

Images: Manchester United & Tottenham Hotspur

From 2005 to 2025, from Park Ji-sung to Son Heung-min! Two of the greatest players to ever play in the Premier League and everyone else in between.

Shibajee Das takes a walk down memory lane, reflecting on the Korean players in the Premier League.

Following the recent transfer of Park Seung-soo to Newcastle United from Suwon Samsung Bluewings, he has become the 20th Korean player to sign for a Premier League club in the last two decades.

Since Manchester United’s signing of Park Ji-sung two decades ago in 2005 and the success that followed, several Korean players have gone on to play in England’s top-tier.

Now, ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s match with Newcastle United in Seoul on Sunday, August 3, in what will be the first-ever clash between two Premier League sides in the Coupang Play Series, it serves as the perfect time to look back on how Korean players have impacted the Premier League and have earned worldwide recognition for their efforts.

The 2000s: The Trailblazers

After South Korea made it all the way to the semi-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup on home soil, football in the East Asian nation changed forever. What would follow in the next few years would shape the nation’s footballing identity.

Having announced his arrival on the global stage with the winning goal against Portugal in the FIFA World Cup — a goal that is still rewatched and fondly remembered after all these years, Park Ji-sung was a star in his homeland and had already proved his pedigree in Europe after winning two Eredivisie titles with PSV Eindhoven as well as scoring against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League semi-final.

Despite all this, when Manchester United’s celebrated manager Sir Alex Ferguson decided to bring him to Old Trafford for a modest £4m, it was met with scepticism by the fans.

“I want to show my value to United in terms of my ability, not for some marketing strategy for Asia. I am not going to England for business,” these were the Korean midfielder’s words after his signing was confirmed.

“Manchester United is the most famous club in the world. I am getting the chance to play in the best team with the best players.”

Truth be told, it would need a separate chapter on Park’s influence on Manchester United in the following seasons — he won it all and silenced his doubters.

The midfielder earned the nickname “Three-lung Park” for his all-action displays, winning four Premier League titles as well as tasting success in the UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup.

Park’s South Korea national team and PSV teammateLee Young-pyo made the switch to the Premier League a season after him when he swapped Eindhoven for London after signing for Tottenham Hotspur.

The left-back started the Spurs’ love story with Korean players with his pace and skill as a full-back, impressing the crowd and was a member of the club’s triumphant League Cup campaign in 2008 when they beat Chelsea 2-1 in the final.

Next to arrive was Seol Ki-hyeon and although the winger was a hit in the EFL Championship, his purple patch in the Premier League lasted for a very short period.

Four goals and four assists in the 2006/07 season for Reading were the best he could muster, in a season in which he had scored against the likes of West Ham United and Sheffield United.

K League 1 all-time top-scorer Lee Dong-gook was the next in line as his January 2007 transfer from Pohang Steelers to Middlesbrough made him the first-ever player to directly secure a transfer from K League 1 to the Premier League, showcasing the growing impact of Korea’s domestic league.

Despite a disappointing spell in England, that transfer set the tone as it directly opened up the Korean market for Premier League clubs. Bolton Wanderers used that avenue to snap up Lee Chung-yong from FC Seoul in 2009 and it would prove to be a masterstroke.

The 2010s: The Superstars  

Lee Chung-yong quickly became the next Korean star in the Premier League, with ten goal contributions in his debut Premier League season, earning him Bolton’s Player of the Year Award in 2010.

Goals against Argentina and Uruguay followed in the 2010 FIFA World Cup as the “Blue Dragon” went on to make over 100 Premier League appearances for Bolton and Crystal Palace in an illustrious career and is still going strong at the age of 37 in K League 1 for Ulsan HD.

Lee’s World Cup teammate Park Chu-young would follow him into the Premier League when he signed for Arsenal but a disastrous spell saw him depart after making just a solitary league appearance.

After impressing at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup with four goals and two assists,Ji Dong-won was bought by Sunderland from Jeonnam Dragons that summer.

Goals against Chelsea and Manchester City, with the latter after coming off the bench in what proved to be the winner, were his best Premier League moments as another Korean faded away after a bright start.

Yun Suk-young and Kim Bo-kyung’s Premier League flame also flickered for a very short while, with the duo appearing for a single season for QPR and Cardiff City respectively, with Kim notably scoring a stoppage-time equaliser against Manchester United in 2013.

And then came the time of Ki Sung-yeung, South Korea’s elegant midfielder who stepped onto the Premier League scene, going on to play in nine seasons in England, amassing close to 200 Premier League appearances after turning out for Swansea City, Sunderland and Newcastle United.

His best season by far came in 2014/15 in Swansea’s colours, scoring eight Premier League goals which included twice against the Red Devils to perfectly highlight the fact that Ki was equally adept at playing as a defensive midfielder as well as a more advanced central midfielder whenever needed.

The 2015/16 season signalled the beginning ofSon Heung-min’s era after Tottenham signed him from Bayer Leverkusen, making him the most expensive Asian player in football history!

In 10 seasons at the North London club, Son has done it all. 127 goals and 77 assists in 333 appearances makes him one of the most iconic players ever to grace the Premier League.

The 33-year-old South Korea national team captain has ended Spurs’ 17-year trophy drought after they defeated Manchester United to lift the UEFA Europa League in May.

Son also helped his beloved Spurs reach the UEFA Champions League Final in 2018/19 and in an individual level, he is arguably the greatest Korean player of all time.

From FIFA Puskas Award in 2020 to the Premier League Golden Boot in 2022, “Sonny” has become a global household name and has truly taken Korean football to unimaginable heights.

The 2020s: The Future

While the curtains will come down on Son’s time in the Premier League with a reported move to Major League Soccer (MLS) on the cards, his compatriotHwang Hee-chan remains in England at Wolves.

Another national team star, Hwang’s best season so far came in 2023/24 when he recorded 12 goals and three assists and has since gone on to become the latest Korean player to reach 100 Premier League appearances.

The successes of their predecessors mean there’s no shortage of idols for the current crop with more and more big Premier League clubs directly acquiring talents from the K League, as can be evidenced from the recent transfers ofYang Min-hyeok from Gangwon FC to Spurs and Park Seung-soo from Suwon Samsung Bluewings to Newcastle.

The teenage duo are tipped for big things and at such a young age can already get a taste of the highest level of competitive club football.

Yang was adjudged as the K League 1 Young Player of the Year last year after 12 goals and six assists in his debut professional season. He has since continued his development and warmed up for his debut Premier League season by netting against Stoke City and Oxford United in the EFL Championship.

Park, on the other hand, impressed for the youth national team at the AFC U20 Asian Cup earlier this year, with the Magpies announcing his arrival in late July.

With Tottenham and Newcastle set to square off in this weekend’s Coupang Play Series, fans in Korea and abroad will get a glimpse of Korea’s finest talents coming through as they set their eyes on following in the footsteps of yesteryear legends and making a name for themselves in the Premier League.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *