The Best Soccer Players From South Korea

Ranker Soccer
Updated January 1, 2024 129.9K views 157 items
Ranked By
13.2K votes
3.2K voters
2 reranks
Voting Rules

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.
  • Jung Seung-hyun
    105

    Jung Seung-hyun

    Incheon, South Korea
    8 votes
  • Kim Ho-Gon
    106

    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
    107

    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
    108

    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
    109

    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
    110

    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
    111

    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
    112

    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
    113

    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.
  • Ji Dong-won
    114
    Jeju City, South Korea
    1 votes
    Ji Dong-won (Korean: 지동원, Hanja:池東沅, Korean pronunciation: [tɕi.doŋ.wʌn] or [tɕi] [toŋ.wʌn];; born 28 May 1991) is a South Korean footballer who plays as a winger for 1. FSV Mainz 05 and the South Korea national team.
  • Kim Min-woo
    115

    Kim Min-woo

    Seoul, South Korea
    1 votes
    Kim Min-woo (born 25 February 1990) is a South Korean football player who is currently playing for Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
  • Kim Chang-soo
    116
    Busan, South Korea
    1 votes
    This article is about a South Korean athlete. You may also be looking for a Korean activist Kim Chang-soo, better known under a pseudonym Kim Koo. Kim Chang-soo (Hangul : 김창수, Korean pronunciation: [kim.tɕʰaŋ.su]; born 12 September 1985) is a South Korean footballer who currently plays as defender for Ulsan Hyundai.
  • Hong Deok-young
    117

    Hong Deok-young

    Hamhung, North Korea
    1 votes
    Hong Deok-Young (Hangul: 홍덕영, Hanja: 洪德永; May 5, 1921 – September 13, 2005) was a South Korean football manager, referee and former football player. He was one of the first South Koreans to be capped for their country at international level.He was also the goalkeeper of the South Korea national team who appeared at the 1954 World Cup. After retiring, he was an international football referee from 1957 to 1967. In later life, Hong went blind due to complication of diabetes mellitus, which already had an impact on his eyesight during his professional years, requiring him to wear glasses on the pitch. He died on September 13, 2005.
  • Kim Pyung-Seok
    118

    Kim Pyung-Seok

    South Korea
    1 votes
    Kim Pyung-seok (Korean: 김평석; born 29 September 1958) is retired football player and manager. He played in K League side Hyundai Horang-i and Yukong Elephants in South Korea.
  • Ha Dae-Sung
    119

    Ha Dae-Sung

    Incheon, South Korea
    1 votes
    Ha Dae-Sung (Korean: 하대성; born 2 March 1985) is a South Korean football player who plays for FC Seoul.
  • Han Kook-Young
    120

    Han Kook-Young

    Seoul, South Korea
    1 votes
    Han Kook-young (Korean: 한국영; Hanja: 韓國榮; Korean pronunciation: [han.ɡu.ɡjʌŋ] or [han] [ku.ɡjʌŋ]; born April 19, 1990 in Seoul) is a South Korean football player.