Jung In-whan

1.1. Education and Youth Football

Jung's youth football career commenced at Baeam High School in Yongin, which is a designated youth club of the Yongin City Football Center. During his time at Baeam High School, he was recognized for his potential and selected for the national youth teams. He played for the South Korean U-17 national team from 2002 to 2003, making 9 appearances and scoring 2 goals. He also represented the South Korean U-20 national team from 2004 to 2005, where he made 23 appearances. As a member of the U-20 team, he participated in the 2004 AFC Youth Championship, appearing in group stage matches. After graduating from Baeam High School, he pursued higher education at Yonsei University in 2005. While at Yonsei, he was again selected for the U-20 World Cup squad, though he did not make an appearance in the tournament. He also played for the South Korean U-23 national team from 2006 to 2007, earning 4 caps.

2.1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (First Stint)

Jung was a prioritized signing for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in 2006, entering the club with high expectations from the media, who saw him as a potential successor to veteran defender Choi Jin-cheul. However, his initial period at Jeonbuk was hampered by a series of injuries, including a fractured cheekbone, which limited his ability to consistently play throughout the seasons. During his first tenure with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors from 2006 to 2007, he made 12 appearances without scoring a goal. He later transferred from Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to Jeonnam Dragons as part of a cash-plus-player deal, which saw Kang Min-soo join Jeonbuk.

2.2. Jeonnam Dragons

At Jeonnam Dragons, Jung In-whan established himself as a key starting defender. His time with the club, from 2008 to 2010, saw him make 44 appearances and score 3 goals. While he missed most of the 2009 season due to injury, he successfully regained his position as a starting defender and contributed significantly to the team's performance in 2010.

2.3. Incheon United

Following the conclusion of the 2010 season, Jung In-whan was part of a trade that sent him and Kim Myung-woon to Incheon United. His transfer to Incheon was finalized in January 2011. Upon joining, he inherited the number 20 jersey, a number previously worn by the club's respected veteran Lim Joong-yong. On September 9, he scored his debut goal for Incheon United in an away match against his former club, Jeonbuk. He further demonstrated his offensive capabilities by scoring a heading goal against FC Seoul in a home match on October 16. In August 2012, Jung received a substantial salary offer for a transfer from Al-Sailiya Sports Club of Qatar, but he ultimately rejected the offer, choosing to remain with Incheon United. During his two seasons with Incheon United from 2011 to 2012, he played in 60 matches and scored 6 goals.

2.4. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (Second Stint)

In January 2013, Jung In-whan returned to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors alongside teammates Jung Hyuk and Lee Kyu-ro. His second stint with the club lasted until 2014, during which he made 43 appearances and scored 4 goals.

2.5. Henan Jianye

On February 28, 2015, Jung In-whan made a move to the Chinese Super League, joining Henan Jianye. He spent the 2015 season with the Chinese club, where he played in 29 matches. He did not score any goals during his time at Henan Jianye.

2.6. FC Seoul

Jung In-whan's transfer to FC Seoul was officially confirmed on February 4, 2016. He played for the club during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, making 13 appearances. While with FC Seoul, he was part of the team that achieved significant success, including winning the K League Classic in 2016, finishing as runner-up in the Korean FA Cup the same year, and reaching third place in the AFC Champions League in 2016.

3.1. Youth National Teams

Jung began his international career as a member of the South Korean U-17 national team, participating in the finals of the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship. He continued to progress through the youth ranks, earning a spot on the U-20 national team. He was a key player in the U-20 squad that competed in the 2004 AFC Youth Championship, appearing in several group stage matches. Although he was selected for the FIFA U-20 World Cup squad, he did not feature in any matches during the tournament. Between 2002 and 2007, he made a total of 9 appearances for the U-17 team (scoring 2 goals), 23 appearances for the U-20 team, and 4 appearances for the U-23 team.

3.2. Senior National Team

Jung In-whan received his first call-up to the senior national team in July 2006, as part of the initial squad assembled by coach Pim Verbeek. Despite being consistently selected for the national team throughout that year, he did not make an official A-match appearance during that period. His A-match debut finally occurred on August 15, 2012, in a friendly match against the Zambia national football team. From 2012 to 2013, Jung made a total of 5 appearances for the senior national team.

5.1. Club

• FC Seoul
  • K League Classic
    • Winner: 2016
  • Korean FA Cup
    • Runner-up: 2016
  • AFC Champions League
    • Third place: 2016