1. Overview
Chun Jae-ho (전재호Korean, Hanja: 田在浩Chinese); born August 8, 1979) is a South Korean football manager and former professional player who primarily played as a midfielder. He stands at 5.5 ft (1.68 m). After a notable playing career in the K League, where he earned recognition for his tenacious play and served as a captain for two clubs, he transitioned into coaching. He held various coaching and assistant roles before taking on the interim manager position at Hanoi FC in Vietnam, where he achieved significant success by leading the club to a domestic double, winning the V.League 1 and the Vietnamese Cup in 2022.
2. Life
Chun Jae-ho's life in football began in his formative years, marked by a distinctive playing style and a memorable nickname that reflected his character on the field.
2.1. Early Life and Education
Chun Jae-ho attended Seoul Muhak Elementary School, Chungang University High School, and Hongik University. During his school sports days, from 1995 to 1997 at Chungang University High School and from 1998 to 2001 at Hongik University, despite his relatively short stature, he was known for his aggressive and tenacious play. He often engaged in physical battles against larger opponents without hesitation. This unwavering spirit and never-give-up attitude earned him the nickname '작은 고추jageun gochuKorean' (meaning 'small chili pepper'), reflecting his impactful presence on the field despite his physical size.
3. Playing Career
Chun Jae-ho had a professional playing career spanning over a decade in South Korea's top football league, marked by significant contributions to various clubs and a brief stint with the national team setup.
3.1. Club Career
Chun Jae-ho began his professional career in 2002, joining Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. In his debut season, he played in three matches, including the Adidas Cup. In 2003, he became a more regular feature, making 31 appearances in the league. In 2004, he moved to Incheon United as a founding member of the newly established team. He quickly became a key starter for Incheon, playing a crucial role in their journey to the K-League runner-up position in 2005. His leadership qualities were recognized when he was appointed captain of Incheon United in 2007. After eight successful seasons with Incheon, he transferred to Busan IPark in 2012, before moving to Gangwon FC on July 24, 2012. He continued to play for Gangwon FC until 2013, also serving as their captain in his final year, 2013.
3.2. International Career
In 2004, Chun Jae-ho was called up to the South Korea national football team by then-coach Humberto Coelho. However, he was forced to withdraw from the squad due to a leg injury, preventing him from making his senior international debut. Prior to this, he was part of the South Korea national under-20 football team for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.
3.3. Career Statistics
The following table details Chun Jae-ho's club performance throughout his playing career in South Korea.
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| South Korea | League | KFA Cup | League Cup | Asia | Total | ||||||||||
| 2002 | Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma | K-League / K League Classic | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2003 | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | ||||||||||
| 2004 | Incheon United | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | - | 31 | 1 | |||||
| 2005 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | - | 35 | 1 | ||||||
| 2006 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 16 | 0 | ||||||
| 2007 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | - | 34 | 0 | ||||||
| 2008 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | 25 | 1 | ||||||
| 2009 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | 31 | 0 | ||||||
| 2010 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 28 | 0 | ||||||
| 2011 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 22 | 1 | ||||||
| 2012 | Busan IPark | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 3 | 0 | ||||||
| Gangwon FC | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 13 | 0 | |||||||
| 2013 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 28 | 2 | |||||||
| Career total | 240 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 49 | 1 | 302 | 7 | |||||||
4. Managerial Career
Following his playing career, Chun Jae-ho transitioned into football management, starting with youth coaching roles and progressing to professional clubs in both South Korea and Vietnam, eventually achieving significant success as an interim manager.
4.1. Coaching Roles
Chun Jae-ho began his coaching career in 2015, taking on an assistant coaching role for the U-18 youth team of Incheon United, specifically with the Incheon Daegun High School football club. He continued in youth coaching, serving as the U-18 Incheon United coach from 2017 to 2018. Later, he moved to Vietnam, where he served as an assistant coach for Viettel FC from 2019 to 2020. From 2021 to 2022, he was an assistant coach for Hanoi FC.
4.2. Interim Manager at Hanoi FC
In 2022, Chun Jae-ho was appointed as the interim manager for Hanoi FC, marking his first professional club managerial role. He took charge on February 19, 2022, and under his guidance, Hanoi FC achieved a historic domestic double in the 2022 season, winning both the V.League 1 national championship and the Vietnamese Cup. Despite this success, he departed the club on December 8, 2022. The primary reason for his departure was reportedly his lack of a Pro license, which is a requirement for permanent managerial positions at that level.
4.3. Managerial Statistics
The following table summarizes Chun Jae-ho's interim managerial record with Hanoi FC.
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Hanoi FC (interim) | 19 February 2022 | 8 December 2022 | 29 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 69.0% |
5. Honours
Chun Jae-ho garnered several team and individual honors throughout his playing and managerial careers.
5.1. As a Player
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
- K-League: 2002, 2003
- Adidas Cup: 2002
- Korea Supercup: 2002
Incheon United
- K-League Runner-up: 2005
5.2. As a Manager
Hanoi FC
- V.League 1: 2022
- Vietnamese Cup: 2022
5.3. Individual
- V.League 1 Manager of the Month: August 2022
6. Controversies and Incidents
On September 22, 2007, during a match against Suwon Samsung Bluewings, Chun Jae-ho committed a harsh foul on Lee Gwan-woo. The referee, perceiving this as retaliation for an earlier altercation between teammates Lim Joong-yong and Eduardo Gonçalves de Oliveira, issued Chun Jae-ho a yellow card. As this was his second yellow card, he was sent off. Dissatisfied with the decision, Chun Jae-ho expressed his frustration by pushing a live television broadcast camera and uttering expletives as he left the field. This incident was fully broadcast, causing controversy. In response, the Korea Professional Football League's disciplinary committee convened on September 28 and imposed a fine of 5.00 M KRW on him for his conduct.