Park Ji-sung

Not to be confused with Jisung or Park Ji-sun. For other people with the same name, see Ji-seong.
In this Korean name, the family name is Park.

Park Ji-sung
Park at the G-20 Seoul Summit in 2010
Personal information
Full name Park Ji-sung[1]
Date of birth (1981-03-30) 30 March 1981 (age 43)[note 1]
Place of birth Seoul, South Korea[6]
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[7]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (technical director)
Youth career
1993–1995 Anyong Middle School
1996–1998 Suwon Technical High School [ko]
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2000 Myongji University [ko]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2003 Kyoto Purple Sanga 76 (11)
2003–2005 PSV Eindhoven 65 (13)
2005–2012 Manchester United 134 (19)
2012–2014 Queens Park Rangers 20 (0)
2013–2014 → PSV Eindhoven (loan) 23 (2)
Total 318 (45)
International career
2000 South Korea U20 2 (0)
1999–2004 South Korea U23 24[α] (2)
2000–2011 South Korea 100 (13)
Medal record
Representing  South Korea
Men's football
AFC Asian Cup
Third place 2000 Lebanon Team
Third place 2011 Qatar Team
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Busan Team[9]

Korean name
Hangul
박지성
Hanja
朴智星
Revised RomanizationBak Jiseong
McCune–ReischauerPak Chisŏng
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Park Ji-sung (Korean: 박지성; Korean pronunciation: [pak̚.t͈ɕi.sʌŋ]; born 30 March 1981)[note 1] is a South Korean former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in the South Korean capital Seoul,[10] Park is one of the greatest and most successful Asian players in football history, having won 19 trophies in his career.[11] He is the first Asian footballer to win the UEFA Champions League, play in a UEFA Champions League final, and win the FIFA Club World Cup.[12] Park was able to play anywhere across the midfield and was noted for his exceptional fitness level, discipline, work ethic and off-the-ball movement.[13] His remarkable endurance levels earned him the nickname "Three-Lung" Park.[14]

Park began his football career in his native South Korea and played for the Myongji University team before moving to Japan to play for Kyoto Purple Sanga. After Park's national team manager Guus Hiddink moved back to the Netherlands to manage PSV Eindhoven, Park followed him to the Dutch side a year later. He won two Eredivisie titles, a KNVB Cup and a Johan Cruyff Shield in Eindhoven before his talents were recognised by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson as PSV reached the semi-finals of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League. Park signed for Manchester United for a fee of around £4 million in July 2005, and in his time at United won 11 trophies, including four Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup. He moved to Queens Park Rangers in 2012 after seven years with Manchester United. However, an injury-interrupted season with QPR, combined with the club's relegation, led to Park rejoining PSV on loan for the 2013–14 season, following which he retired due to a knee injury.

As a member of the South Korea national team, Park won 100 caps and scored 13 goals.[15] He was a member of the team that finished fourth at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and also represented his nation at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. At the World Cup, he was named man of the match four times, the most of any Asian player,[16][17][18][19] and is currently South Korea's joint all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with three goals alongside Ahn Jung-hwan and Son Heung-min, having scored in three consecutive tournaments.

  1. ^ "Premier League clubs submit squad lists with 3 lungs and ran a staggering 114km" (PDF). PremierLeague.com. Premier League. 2 February 2012. p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  2. ^ "Ji-Sung Park". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  3. ^ 박지성 (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  4. ^ 맨유, 박지성 생일 축하 "우리도 사랑한다" (in Korean). Seoul Broadcasting System. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  5. ^ Lee, Jongeun. "Korean Lunar Calendar Converter". Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  6. ^ 박지성 (朴智星) KAC201205869 (in Korean). National Library of Korea. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Park Ji-Sung". PremierLeague.com. Premier League. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference ParkCaps1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ 2002년 09월 12일 현재, 아시안게임 대표팀 명단 (부산아시안게임) (in Korean). JoinKFA. 12 September 2002. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  10. ^ 멈추지 않는 도전, 박지성 (in Korean). JoongAng Ilbo. 3 March 2006. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Ji-Sung Park named PyeongChang 2018 Ambassador". Paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. 10 August 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  12. ^ "United's Park first Asian to play Champions League final". Reuters. 27 May 2009. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  13. ^ "Ji-Sung Park – Quote, Unquote". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  14. ^ "Manchester United's Park Has the Endurance to Persevere". The New York Times. 25 May 2009.
  15. ^ "PARK Ji Sung". KFA.or.kr. Korea Football Association. 31 January 2011. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference 02POR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference 06FRA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ "2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa - Matches - Korea Republic-Greece". FIFA.com. FIFA. Archived from the original on 9 May 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference 10NGA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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