Park Jong-woo (Korean: 박종우; born 10 March 1989) is a South Korean football player who currently plays for Nongbua Pitchaya as a midfielder. He has previously played for the Chinese club Guangzhou R&F and also in the UAE Arabian Gulf League for Al Jazira and Emirates. He has represented South Korea at age group and senior level, including the Men's tournament at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and was part of the South Korean squad for 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Park Jong-woo
Personal information
Date of birth (1989-03-10) 10 March 1989 (age 35)
Place of birth Seongnam, Gyeonggi, South Korea
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Central midfielder
Team information
Current team
Nongbua Pitchaya
Youth career
2008–2009 Yonsei University
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2013 Busan IPark 96 (7)
2014–2015 Guangzhou R&F 34 (1)
2015–2017 Al Jazira 43 (1)
2017–2018 Emirates 21 (1)
2018 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 7 (0)
2019–2024 Busan IPark 90 (3)
2024- Nongbua Pitchaya - (-)
International career
2007–2009 South Korea U20 7 (0)
2011–2012 South Korea U23 14 (1)
2012–2017 South Korea 15 (0)
Medal record
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2012 London Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 December 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 October 2017
Park Jong-woo
Hangul
박종우
Hanja
朴鍾佑
Revised RomanizationBak Jongu
McCune–ReischauerPak Chongu

Club career

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Park joined Busan IPark from Yonsei University for the 2010 K-League season.[1] Park's first appearance for his new club was in the K League 1, as a substitute in the 3–0 win over FC Seoul on 2 May 2010.[2] Since his debut, Park has established himself as a Busan regular, making several appearances in both 2010 and 2011. Park scored his first professional goal in a drawn match with the Chunnam Dragons on 21 August 2011.[3]

Park enjoyed a personally successful 2012 season, in which he became a key figure for Busan I'Park in central midfield. His performances ensured his inclusion in the South Korea squad for the London Olympics that summer.

Park continued his good form into 2013. On the opening day of the K League 1 season, during a 2–2 draw with Gangwon, he assisted Lim Sang-hyub's opening goal, and later converted a penalty. On 7 August, Park scored the deciding goal, also from the penalty spot, in the 2–1 victory over FC Seoul in the quarter-final of the FA Cup, taking Busan into the semi-finals. Park was included in the official K League 1 Team of the Week on six occasions during the 2013 season.

On 13 February 2014, Park transferred to Chinese Super League side Guangzhou R&F.[4] After a year and a half with the Chinese club, Park transferred to Al Jazira on 6 July 2015, on a three-year contract.[5] He was a regular member of the team that were crowned champions of the 2016/17 Arabian Gulf League.[6]

After one season with Emirates Club in the UAE Arabian Gulf League, Park transferred to Korean side Suwon Bluewings for the second half of the 2018 Korean season.

On 12 January 2019 Park signed for Busan IPark, the club at which he began his professional career.[7] Park was named Busan vice-captain for the 2019 season and was a regular starter as the club finished second in the league and achieved promotion to the K League 1. He contributed seven assists and was shortlisted for the K League 2 Bext XI. Park was named club captain for the 2021 season.

International career

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Park was included in the South Korean squad for the 2012 London Olympics. He started all three group games as South Korea finished second in their group and advanced to the next round. In the quarter-final match with Great Britain, Park played the entire 120 minutes as the game went to a penalty shoot-out. Park scored the fourth penalty for Korea, who won the shoot-out 5–4. Park was an unused substitute in the semi-final defeat to Brazil, but returned to the starting line-up for the third place play-off victory over Japan, which ensured Korea were bronze medal winners.

After impressing as a midfield partner for Ki Sung-yueng at the Olympic Games, Park made his full international debut on 17 October 2012 in a World Cup qualifying defeat to Iran. He represented Korea in the 2013 East Asian Cup, and was also part of the squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He was an unused substitute in all three group games as Korea were eliminated at the group stage.

Park returned to the national team squad after a three-year absence for the friendly games against Russia and Morocco in October 2017.[8]

London Olympics controversy

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Although the International Olympic Committee prohibits players from making political statements, following South Korea's victory of Japan in the bronze medal match of the men's football, Park displayed the sign with a slogan of justification for Korea's occupation of the Liancourt Rocks, known as Dokdo or Tokto (독도, literally) in Korean, or Takeshima (たけしま/竹島) in Japanese.[9] As a consequence he was banned from the medal ceremony and unlike his other 17 teammates he did not receive a bronze medal for his performance. It was also announced that he was under investigation by the International Olympic Committee and football's governing body FIFA,[10] both of which have rules that prohibit political statements by athletes on the field.[11]

South Korea exempts Olympic medalists from military service. Despite Park not receiving a medal due to his political statement South Korean sports minister Choe Kwang-shik stated that regardless of what the IOC investigation decides Park will still not be required to do the two years of military service that South Korean men are required to do.[12] FIFA failed to reach a conclusion on the case at a meeting at its Zurich headquarters held on 5 October, and the disciplinary committee discussed the case again on the following week,[13] then failed to reach a verdict again.

After that, the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) announced that Park would receive his bronze medal.[14]

However, the case was heard again by the committee on 20 November,[15] and FIFA finally decided and announced on 3 December to suspend Park for two matches after he was considered to have breached the FIFA Disciplinary Code and the Regulations of the Olympic Football Tournaments. FIFA also impose a warning on the Korea Football Association and reminded it of its obligation to properly instruct its players on all the pertinent rules and applicable regulations before the start of any competition, in order to avoid such incident in the future. The Korea Football Association was warned that should incidents of such nature occur again in the future, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may impose harsher sanctions on the Korea Football Association.[16]

On 11 February 2013, Park attended an International Olympic Committee disciplinary hearing at Lausanne, Switzerland. After the Disciplinary Commission reviewed Park's action at the Olympics, the IOC decided to give the player the medal he had been barred from collecting for several months.[17] Park was subsequently awarded his Olympic bronze medal, following a ruling by the International Olympic Committee over his celebration at the London Olympic Games.[18][19]

Club career statistics

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Updated 17 October 2022

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
South Korea League KFA Cup League Cup AFC Total
2010 Busan IPark K League 1 12 0 0 0 1 0 - - 13 0
2011 25 2 2 0 5 0 - - 32 2
2012 28 3 0 0 - - 28 3
2013 K League 1 31 2 3 1 - - 34 3
China League Chinese FA Cup AFC Total
2014 Guangzhou R&F CSL 23 1 1 0 - - 24 1
2015 11 0 0 0 6 0 17 0
UAE League UAE League Cup Super Cup AFC Total
2015/16 Al Jazira Club Arabian Gulf League 23 1 5 0 7 0 35 1
2016/17 20 0 5 0 1 0 4 0 30 0
2017/18 Emirates 21 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 24 1
South Korea League KFA Cup Play-offs AFC Total
2018 Suwon Bluewings K League 1 7 0 2 0 2 0 11 0
2019 Busan IPark K League 2 33 2 0 0 0 0 33 2
2020 K League 1 19 1 2 1 0 0 21 2
2021 K League 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
2022 29 0 1 0 0 0 30 0
2023 3 0 1 0 0 0 4 0
Country South Korea 193 10 11 2 6 0 2 0 212 12
China 34 1 1 0 6 0 41 1
UAE 64 2 13 0 1 0 11 0 89 2
Total 291 13 25 2 7 0 19 0 342 15

References

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  1. ^ "K-League player profile". kleague.com.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Busan I'Park vs. FC Seoul 3 - 0". soccerway.com.
  3. ^ "Chunnam Dragons vs. Busan I'Park 1 - 1". soccerway.com.
  4. ^ 富力官方宣布签韩国国脚后腰 at sports.sina.com 2014-02-13 Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  5. ^ Passela, Amith (6 July 2015). "Al Jazira sign Korean defender Park Jong-woo". The National. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Arabian Gulf League: Al Jazira claim title in style". Goal. 30 April 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  7. ^ "'친정' 부산 복귀한 박종우, 승격으로 다시 영광 이루고파". 13 January 2019.
  8. ^ "Yonhap News Agency".
  9. ^ Staff Seoul and Tokyo hold island talks BBC, 20 April 2006.
  10. ^ Huffington Post South Korea Soccer Player Should Be Banned From Olympics Medal Ceremony For Flag Slogan, Says IOC Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  11. ^ The NY Times South Korean Denied Medal Over Politics 11 August 2012 Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  12. ^ [1] S. Korea Olympic soccer player excused from draft 15 August 2012] Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  13. ^ "FIFA puts off ruling on S. Korean". theStarOnline. 6 October 2012. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  14. ^ "Jong-woo to receive medal". ESPN Soccernet. 31 October 2012. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  15. ^ "FIFA to hear case over South Korea Olympic protest". Brian Homewood. Reuters. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  16. ^ "Korea Republic's Park Jongwoo suspended for two matches". FIFA. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  17. ^ "Footballer Park Jong-woo to receive long-awaited Olympic medal: IOC". Yonhap News Agency. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  18. ^ "Head of S. Korean Olympic body returns with bronze medal for footballer". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  19. ^ "Bronze delivered to Park Jong-Woo" (in Korean). Newsis. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
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