"It's because of director Hwang Sun-hong who came back to Korea."
Park Kyu-hyun (23), who returned from the German stage, said on the 23rd, "It is because of director Hwang Sun-hong who returned to Korea."
Park Kyu-hyun (23), who returned from the German stage, expressed his strong trust in coach Hwang Sun-hong in an interview at Daejeon Hana Citizen's club accommodation in Bangkok, Thailand on the 23rd.
Park Gyu-hyeon, a defender born in 2001, was originally a promising player who passed the Ulsan HD Youth System. Having passed through Hyundai Middle School and Hyundai High School in Ulsan, Park has drawn attention as a promising defensive player who will represent Korea as he has also played in national teams of different ages.
When he was a junior in high school, he dropped out of high school to advance to Europe and went straight to Germany. With full transfer after loan, Park had high expectations and looked forward to his debut in the Bundesliga, one of the four major leagues in Europe.
However, Park's challenge has gradually started to decline. Expectations were high for his debut as he joined the top-tier Bremen team in the 2021-2022 season and spent the pre-season. However, he was pushed out of the competition and left for Dinamo Dresden, a second-tier team, on loan. He also left Dresden with regret, and suddenly moved to the Daejeon Hana Citizen where Hwang Sun-hong is located.
The two made a connection during the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held in 2023. Coach Hwang selected Park Kyu-hyun, and Park Kyu-hyun played in five Asian Games, contributing to three consecutive gold medals.
Regarding the reason for the transfer, Park Kyu-hyun expressed strong trust in Hwang, saying, "I think Hwang Sun-hong was the biggest. When the coach asked me to work with him now, I thought seriously about him, and when I made the last decision, I think I thought seriously about Hwang Sun-hong and made the decision quickly."
Next is Park Kyuhyun's Q&A..
-Training in Bangkok is just around the corner (he will return to Korea on June 26).
"I have two days left if I endure today." (I don't look tired at the end of my training.) I'm still young.
-It would be my first winter training as a professional in Korea.
"It certainly seems to be different (from Europe). First of all, the period is long. It is very long. Germany goes to another country for 10 days in the pre-season and usually works out within a team, less than a week seems to go. Then the season begins right away. Then, I work out at the club.
(Can't you adjust well because it's long?) Yes. And it's hot. I've never been in such a hot place for this long. It's not hot in Europe, even if it's Germany. Even if it's hot, it doesn't go up to 35 degrees Celsius, but it's a break time when it's the hottest. Even if you take a rest for the whole of June, it's not humid, so it just stings, but nothing else is humid. It's cool when you go into the shade.
However, it seems that there is a lot of tactical aspects here and the exercise period is basically long. Europe doesn't go to the pitch twice a day. I do weight training once a day and then take a rest.
-I think I've already gotten close to my colleagues.
"I've become close to all the players. I've always been close to Kim Min-woo, but I've become close to almost all others except Min-woo. Everyone has gotten closer without any awkwardness." (MBTI?) It's ENFJ. He's very active. Some members say they feel uncomfortable. I don't really get along with Min-gyu, but when I talk to him quietly, he tells me everything and buys me a meal.
Basically, it's a little difficult for seniors. It's hard for me to approach them, and some older brothers are a little older than me. (Who is the oldest brother?) As far as I know, San was born in 1989 (35 years old). Still, I don't feel the age gap much. There was a player of that age in Germany.
-The atmosphere of the team looks good.
I think it's good. Some of the older brothers have been injured during the training camp, but there were no serious injuries, and I think they are preparing well for both tactical and physical aspects, so it's personally and as a team.
-Why did you give up your challenge in Germany and come to Korea.
I think director Hwang Sun-hong was the biggest. When the director asked me to work with him once, I thought seriously about him, and when I made the last decision, I think I thought seriously about Hwang Sun-hong and made the decision quickly.
-Did you learn or feel a lot while working with director Hwang at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
First of all, I learned a lot of what I learned at that time, and the best thing was that I had the best memory, so I wanted to revive that memory and see a good synergy effect. Also, I kept in touch with the director often from time to time.
-There is also a sense that he came to Korea faster than expected after trying.
In fact, I didn't think about it at this time. When I thought about my career and tried this plan in my own way, it wasn't really this time.
I didn't think about it at all, but as I said earlier, I was the biggest because of director Hwang, and I came to pay off my debt to the director, and the director chose me, and I had good results.
In fact, I think I was able to join again because there is no restriction on military exemption. Fortunately, I don't want to stay in the domestic league all the time, but I also want to go again because I have a dream.
Now, if there is a good opportunity in the future, the opportunity to go to Europe is always open, so it seems that it was easy to come in because of that.
-If I were to point out what I learned from coach Hwang Sun-hong during the Hangzhou Asian Games.
It's a difficult question. Still, I think I learned a lot about the coach's philosophy, such as what he pursued, avoided what he learned, and what he learned to play soccer in a short but thick way.
The coach certainly had a career when he was a player in the past, and when we met this time, he met as a coach and a student, so I think he learned a lot about soccer and that when he was a coach.
How to think more freely and things like that. The director released a lot.
It's a chance to play. I played in the Bundesliga, which is one of the top five leagues in the world, got a contract, and I work out. I was young then, but I had little time to play compared to my hard work. That was the most regrettable thing.
I try my best to get just one minute of playing time, but I don't think I got that much. I think that's the most regrettable thing.
-Do you have any regrets.
I don't regret much. I really did my best in everything I could, and if the results don't follow, there's nothing I can do. There are definitely parts that I need to work on again, and I don't think I'm the type to leave much regret. I think that's the motto of life.
-In 2023, Jurgen Klinsmann was invited to join the Korean national soccer team. How was he helpful to himself by experiencing the sudden call from the national team.
The biggest thing was, of course, that I came to the stage that a soccer player dreams of at least once in my life. I think that was the biggest thing. I really cried when I got that call at first.
After receiving it, after hanging up the phone, I think I only have good memories of being alone and crying alone.
(I think he was really desperate). I didn't expect it at first, but I didn't know it would come so soon. That was the biggest thing when I was in Germany, and my coach told me at the end of the season. "I contacted Coach Klinsmann." He said that at first, "No way. Still," but that was the time when I had to go to the 23-year-old national team for an exhibition match in China.
Coincidentally, I used the same training camp, and they asked me to work out with them, but since I'm comfortable with German, I think I've been lucky since I've talked a few times.
-There will be greed for the national team again in the future.
If there is none, it is not without example. I think so among the goals that I want to achieve for sure. Among the goals that I have recently, I want to participate in the World Cup is the biggest.
In terms of team, I want to advance to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League or top ranks. If I get a really good result, I want to win the championship, but other personal goals are, of course, I'm aiming for the World Cup, so I think I should work hard to meet them.
-Last year, there was a bad situation in Daejeon, but when Hwang Sun-hong came, he stayed. From the outside, how did you see Hwang Sun-hong's soccer in Daejeon.
I don't think it was unfamiliar. Still, it wasn't that unfamiliar because it was soccer that we played together at the Asian Games. 스포츠토토
However, there was something pitiful about the coach. In fact, since the coach came here for a short time in the summer without any preparation period, I think I saw from that point of view whether I could go in right away with the players without any preparation period.
Then, as soon as the season was over and I stayed, I signed it right away for the first time. I didn't have a lot of worries. Of course, I talked to other teams and talked about it, but one of the reasons why I aimed at Korea was because Hwang Sun-hong was the biggest, so I kept talking with other teams but I didn't really feel it.
The Daejeon club is one of the really good clubs, and the coach was also the coach I wanted, and since the coach said he wanted it, I think it would only have a really good synergy effect, so I think it was really short to make a big decision.
-Did you have any suggestions in Ulsan, where you grew up.
There was one, but actually, I didn't go there while I was a professional, and since I was a professional right away in Germany, I don't think there was anything like that.
Someone raised me, so I started my career as a professional, so I only felt that I was going from a professional to a professional. Of course, Ulsan fans might be disappointed, but I wasn't a professional player yet.
-If you could say something to fans in Daejeon.
The biggest thing is that I'm so grateful for loving me and welcoming me, and we're going to start a new season in less than a month from next season, and as much as we prepared, I think there are a lot of things I have to do as much as the fans look forward to, and I'm going to do my best about it.