1. Early life and youth career
Choi Joon-gi's football journey began in his hometown, progressing through a structured academic football system before turning professional, and included extensive participation in South Korea's youth national team programs.
1.1. Birth and childhood
Choi Joon-gi was born on April 13, 1994, in Daegu, South Korea. He developed an early interest in football and pursued it through various youth programs.
1.2. Youth career
Choi Joon-gi began his youth career at Ulsan Hyundai Junior Youth. He later attended Boin High School from 2010 to 2012, where he honed his skills within the school's football team. Following his high school education, he continued his football development at Yonsei University from 2013 to 2016, a prominent institution for collegiate football in South Korea.
During his formative years, Choi Joon-gi was a consistent presence in South Korea's youth national teams. He represented the U-12 national team in 2006, followed by appearances for the U-13 team in 2007, the U-14 team in 2008, the U-15 team in 2009, and the U-16 team in 2010. His final youth national team appearance came with the U-18 squad in 2012. Additionally, he was selected for the South Korean university selection team, participating in the Japan-Korea Denso Cup Soccer in both 2015 and 2016. In the 2016 tournament, he held the distinction of being the team captain.
2. Professional club career
Choi Joon-gi embarked on his professional club career in 2017, playing for teams in both Japan and South Korea, contributing to various league campaigns.
2.1. Thespakusatsu Gunma
Choi Joon-gi officially began his professional career by joining J2 League club Thespakusatsu Gunma in March 2017. He made his professional debut on April 22, 2017, in a J2 League match against Tokyo Verdy held at Ajinomoto Stadium. His first professional goal quickly followed on May 7, 2017, when he scored in a league fixture against Roasso Kumamoto at Egao Kenko Stadium. During the 2017 season with Thespakusatsu Gunma, he appeared in 21 league matches and scored 1 goal.
2.2. Seongnam FC
In 2018, Choi Joon-gi made a permanent transfer to Seongnam FC in the K League 2. During the 2018 season, he played a crucial role, making 21 appearances for the club. His contributions were instrumental in helping Seongnam FC achieve promotion to the K League 1, South Korea's top professional football division.
2.3. Jeonnam Dragons and other clubs
In the summer transfer window of 2019, Choi Joon-gi transferred to Jeonnam Dragons. However, his tenure at the club was short-lived due to a significant incident. Despite joining Jeonnam Dragons, he only managed to make 4 appearances for the team during the 2019 season.
Following the controversies of 2019, Choi Joon-gi was loaned to Cheonan City FC, a club in the K3 League, for the 2020 season. After the conclusion of the 2020 season, he returned from his loan spell to Jeonnam Dragons. However, his contract with Jeonnam Dragons subsequently expired, leading to his departure from the club.
3. Individual performance statistics
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Cup Apps | Cup Goals | Total Apps | Total Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Thespakusatsu Gunma | J2 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| 2018 | Seongnam FC | K League 2 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| 2019 | Jeonnam Dragons | K League 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2020 | Cheonan City FC (loan) | K3 League | (unknown) | (unknown) | (unknown) | (unknown) | (unknown) | (unknown) |
| Career total | 46+ | 1+ | 0 | 0 | 46+ | 1+ | ||
4. Controversies and incidents
Choi Joon-gi's professional career was marred by a serious drunk driving incident that led to significant disciplinary action and public scrutiny.
On September 21, 2019, Choi Joon-gi was involved in a drunk driving incident, which he subsequently self-reported to the police. This action, a severe breach of professional conduct and public trust, prompted an immediate response from the K League. The Korea Professional Football League imposed a disciplinary measure against Choi Joon-gi, handing him a 15-match suspension and a fine of 4.00 M KRW. The severity of the punishment reflected the K League's firm stance against such behavior, aiming to uphold the integrity of the sport and reinforce responsible conduct among its players. The incident resulted in Choi Joon-gi being sidelined for the remainder of the 2019 season. This episode significantly impacted his career trajectory and public image, highlighting the societal implications of professional athletes' actions off the field.