The Best Soccer Players From South Korea

Ranker Soccer
Updated January 1, 2024 129.4K views 157 items
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13.0K votes
3.2K voters
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Vote up the best South Korea footballers of all time.

Who are the best football players from South Korea? These are the greatest soccer players born in South Korea or who played on the South Korean national football team. While the South Korea men's national team has a long and storied history of producing top international talent, fans of the Taegeuk Warriors have been waiting for the Tigers of Asia to capture international glory for some time now. So, who are the best footballers from South Korea? Who is the best South Korean soccer player of all time?

Some of the best South Korea soccer players include national legends like Cha Bum-kun, Hwang Sun-hong, Park Chang-sun, Hong Myung-bo and Park Ji-sung. There are also current South Korea football stars such as Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan, and Kim Young-gwon, who are making an impact across the globe. 

Vote up the best soccer players from the South Korea, and help decide who is the greatest South Korean footballer of all time!

Most divisive: Kim Do-Heon
Over 3.2K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of South Korean Footballers
  • Kim Yong-dae
    91
    Miryang, South Korea
    3 votes
    Kim Yong-dae (born 11 October 1979) is a South Korean football goalkeeper who plays for Ulsan Hyundai. Despite not playing for South Korea since 2008, he is considered one of South Korea's best goalkeepers even to the point where he has been nicknamed by fans as "Yong Der Sar" in reference to former Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar of Manchester United and the Netherlands.
  • Kim Byung-Ji
    92

    Kim Byung-Ji

    Miryang, South Korea
    3 votes
    Kim Byung-ji (born 8 April 1970) is a former football goalkeeper who played for the South Korea national team as well as several clubs in the K League. He is currently working as a football commentator and a YouTuber.
  • Kim Do-Keun
    93
    Gangneung, South Korea
    3 votes
    Kim Do-Keun (born 2 March 1972) is a South Korean football player. He is currently a reserve team coach of Chunnam Dragons, the club he mostly played for as a player. He played for the South Korea national football team and was a participant at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
  • Kim Ho
    94

    Kim Ho

    Tongyeong, South Korea
    3 votes
    Kim Ho (born November 24, 1944) is a South Korean former football player and manager.
  • Lee Yong
    95

    Lee Yong

    Seoul, South Korea
    3 votes
    Lee Yong (born 24 December 1986) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays for Korean club Suwon FC and the South Korean national football team as a right-back. In May 2018 he was named in South Korea's preliminary 28 man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
  • Byun Byung-Joo
    96

    Byun Byung-Joo

    Paju, South Korea
    3 votes
    Byun Byung-Joo (Korean: 변병주; Korean pronunciation: [pjʌn.bjʌŋ.dʑu] or [pjʌn] [pjʌŋ.dʑu]; born 26 April 1961) was a South Korean football player. He was the appointed manager of Daegu FC in 2006, before resigning in December 2009.
  • Oh Yun-Kyo
    97

    Oh Yun-Kyo

    South Korea
    3 votes
    Oh Yun-kyo was a South Korean footballer. He appeared on the South Korea national football team in 1985 and 1986.
  • Kim Yong-Se
    98

    Kim Yong-Se

    Paju, South Korea
    3 votes
    Kim Yong-Se is former South Korean football player.
  • Lee Young-Moo
    99

    Lee Young-Moo

    Goyang, South Korea
    3 votes
    Lee Young-Moo is a retired South Korean football player, who manages Ansan Hallelujah FC in Korea National League. He is a committed Christian.
  • Park Jong-Woo
    100

    Park Jong-Woo

    South Korea
    3 votes
    Park Jong-woo (Korean: 박종우; born 10 March 1989) is a South Korean football player, who currently plays for Busan IPark as a midfielder.
  • Park Joo-ho
    101
    Seoul, South Korea
    3 votes
    Park Joo-ho (Korean: 박주호; Korean pronunciation: [pak̚.t͈ɕu.ɦo] or [pak̚] [tɕu.ɦo]; born 16 January 1987) is a South Korean football player who plays as a defender for Ulsan Hyundai FC. A versatile player, his primary position is left-back but he is also able play in defensive midfield or as a wide midfielder. As captain, he played for South Korea national under-20 soccer team in 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada.
  • Song Bum-keun
    102

    Song Bum-keun

    Seongnam, South Korea
    10 votes
  • Jeong Woo-yeong
    103

    Jeong Woo-yeong

    Ulsan, South Korea
    10 votes
  • Yeom Ki-hun
    104

    Yeom Ki-hun

    Haenam County, South Korea
    4 votes
    Yeom Ki-Hun (Korean: 염기훈; Hanja: 廉基勳; born 30 March 1983) is a South Korean football player who plays for Suwon Samsung Bluewings. Yeom made his way onto the national team following his continental performances. This tricky left winger has a penchant for scoring crucial goals, including one in the first leg of the AFC Champions League final. On 16 December 2008, Yeom joined Premier League club West Bromwich Albion on a trial basis without receiving Ulsan's approval. He incurred blame for this incident.
  • Lee Young-Jin
    105

    Lee Young-Jin

    Seoul, South Korea
    5 votes
    Lee Young-jin is a South Korea football manager and former player. He capped 186 games and scored 10 goals/23 assists in League, and 34 games and scored 1 goal/5 assists in Cup. He was member of South Korea at 1990 FIFA World Cup and 1994 FIFA World Cup tournament. On 22 December 2009, Daegu FC appointed Lee Young-jin as manager. In the 2011 season, the club improved on previous season by finishing in 12th place, but the board decided that they terminated his contract.
  • Kim Tae-Hwan
    106

    Kim Tae-Hwan

    Gwangju, South Korea
    5 votes
    Kim Tae-hwan (Korean: 김태환; born 24 July 1989) is a South Korean football player who plays for K League 1 side Ulsan Hyundai.
  • Noh Jung-Yoon
    107
    Incheon, South Korea
    5 votes
    Noh Jung-Yoon (born March 28, 1971) was a South Korean footballer who spent almost his whole career in the J1 League, with a spell in the Dutch League. The midfielder was the first Korean player to play in the J1 League when he moved to Japan in 1992 when the J1 League was newly formed. The former South Korea national team midfielder has played for Sanfrecce Hiroshima, NAC Breda, Cerezo Osaka, and Avispa Fukuoka.
  • Kim Sam-Soo
    108

    Kim Sam-Soo

    Daejeon, South Korea
    5 votes
    Kim Sam-soo is a South Korean football midfielder who played for South Korea in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Hyundai Horang-i and Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso.
  • Lee Jung-soo
    109

    Lee Jung-soo

    Gimhae, South Korea
    5 votes
    Lee Jung-soo (Korean: 이정수; born 8 January 1980) is a South Korean footballer who plays as a central defender for Charlotte Independence of the USL.
  • Kim Poong-Joo
    110
    South Korea
    5 votes
    Kim Poong-Joo (Korean: 김풍주) is a South Korean football coach and former player who played for the Pusan Daewoo Royals.
  • Noh Soo-Jin
    111

    Noh Soo-Jin

    South Korea
    5 votes
    Noh Soo-Jin (Korean: 노수진; Hanja: 魯壽珍, born on February 10, 1962) is a former South Korea football player. He was a part of the South Korea national football team who of the FIFA World Cup in 1986, 1990. Also He was a member of 1988 Summer Olympics and 1988 AFC Asian Cup. At the club side, he won the K-League 1989 with Yukong Elephants. He is currently manager of Yeongdeungpo Technical High School FC.
  • Jung Seung-hyun
    112

    Jung Seung-hyun

    Incheon, South Korea
    8 votes
  • Kim Ho-Gon
    113

    Kim Ho-Gon

    Tongyeong, South Korea
    9 votes
    Kim Ho-kon (Korean: 김호곤; born 26 March 1951) is a South Korean football manager and former football player.
  • Kim Young-Chul
    114

    Kim Young-Chul

    Incheon, South Korea
    1 votes
    Kim Yeong-cheol or Kim Yŏng-ch'ŏl (Korean: 김영철) is a Korean name consisting of the family name Kim and the given name Yeong-cheol, and may also refer to: Kim Yong-chol (born 1946), North Korean general, politician Kim Yeong-cheol (actor) (born 1953), South Korean actor Kim Young-chul (comedian) (born 1974), South Korean comedian Kim Young-chul (footballer) (born 1976), South Korean footballer
  • Kim Young-Kwang
    115

    Kim Young-Kwang

    Goheung County, South Korea
    1 votes
    Kim Young-kwang (Korean: 김영광, born 28 June 1983) is a South Korean footballer who plays for Seongnam FC.
  • Kwak Tae-hwi
    116

    Kwak Tae-hwi

    Chilgok County
    1 votes
    Kwak Tae-hwi (Korean: 곽태휘; [kwak̚.tʰεçy] or [kwak̚.tʰεɦwi]; born 8 July 1981) is a South Korean football player who plays as a centre back for Gyeongnam FC. During his career, he played for FC Seoul, Jeonnam Dragons, Kyoto Sanga FC, Ulsan Hyundai and Al-Hilal. Kwak was capped at international level. He made his senior debut in 2008, gained more than 50 caps, scored five international goals and represented them for two Asian cups and 2014 Fifa World Cup.
  • Cho Yong-hyung
    117

    Cho Yong-hyung

    Incheon, South Korea
    1 votes
    Cho Yong-Hyung (Korean: 조용형, born 3 November 1983) is a South Korean footballer. He is known for his versatility as he can play as a full-back on either side of the pitch, as well as a centre back and a defensive midfielder. Cho Yong-Hyung is praised in the K-League for his positional sense and steadiness under pressure. Cho has become regarded as the successor to Hong Myung-Bo, South Korea’s legendary center half who took part in four FIFA World Cups.
  • Jang Dae-Il
    118

    Jang Dae-Il

    Incheon, South Korea
    1 votes
    Jang Dae-Il (born 9 March 1975) is a former South Korean football player. His father is British. He played for several clubs, including Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and Busan I'cons. He played for the South Korea national football team and was a participant at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
  • Kang Deuk-soo
    119

    Kang Deuk-soo

    South Korea
    1 votes
    Kang Deuk-Soo (Korean: 강득수) (born on January 1, 1961) is a South Korean football player and manager.
  • Park Jung-Bae
    120

    Park Jung-Bae

    South Korea
    1 votes
    Park Jung-bae (born 19 February 1967) is a South Korean former international footballer who played professionally as a defender for LG Cheetahs, Pusan Daewoo Royals and Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i. He represented South Korea at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.