1. Overview
Kim Seung-jun (김승준Gim SeungjunKorean; born September 11, 1994) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a forward. Throughout his career, he has played for several K League clubs, including Ulsan Hyundai, Gyeongnam FC, Busan IPark, and currently Suwon FC. He has also represented South Korea at various youth levels, achieving success in continental tournaments. His professional journey includes notable performances in the K League and the Korean FA Cup, though it has also been marked by controversy regarding military service allegations.
2. Early Life and Career
Kim Seung-jun's early life laid the foundation for his future in professional football, starting from his birth and continuing through his formative years in youth and amateur leagues.
2.1. Birth and Upbringing
Kim Seung-jun was born on September 11, 1994, in South Korea. He developed an early interest in football, which guided his academic and extracurricular pursuits toward a career in the sport.
2.2. Youth and Amateur Career
Kim's talent was recognized early, leading to his involvement in South Korea's youth national team setups. He participated in various youth competitions, gaining international experience that would later prove crucial in his professional development. He honed his skills as a forward, demonstrating an ability to score and contribute to his team's attacking play.
3. Club Career
Kim Seung-jun's professional club career began in the K League, where he played for several prominent teams, leaving a notable impact with each.
3.1. Ulsan Hyundai
Kim Seung-jun joined Ulsan Hyundai ahead of the 2015 season. On July 8, 2015, he scored two goals in a league match against Daejeon, leading his team to a 4-1 victory. The 2016 season saw him perform exceptionally well, recording 8 goals and 2 assists. His strong performance led to his consideration for the K League Young Player Award, but he was ultimately excluded from the final nominee list. This exclusion sparked controversy, with the K League explaining that his selection for "Round Best XI" was lower compared to other candidates. However, critics argued that subjective criteria like "Round Best XI" should not outweigh objective statistics such as goal contributions. Even Ulsan coach 윤정환Yoon Jeong-hwanKorean publicly questioned the selection criteria.
On May 6, 2017, Kim scored the opening goal in an away match against Suwon Samsung Bluewings, securing a 2-1 victory for Ulsan. Approximately seven months later, in the 2017 FA Cup final, he scored the opening goal in the first leg, significantly contributing to Ulsan's first FA Cup championship in their history. He concluded his time at Ulsan Hyundai with 90 league appearances and 17 goals.
3.2. Gyeongnam FC
In 2019, Kim Seung-jun transferred to Gyeongnam FC along with Lee Young-jae. During his time with Gyeongnam, he made 29 appearances in the K League 1, scoring 6 goals, and also played in the AFC Champions League. He continued to contribute to the team's offense throughout the season.
3.3. Busan IPark
During the summer transfer window of the 2020 season, Kim Seung-jun moved to Busan IPark on loan as part of a trade involving Han Ji-ho. He played in 11 K League 1 matches for Busan IPark during his loan spell.
3.4. Suwon FC
Ahead of the 2021 season, Kim Seung-jun permanently transferred to Suwon FC. He has since become an integral part of the team, continuing his contributions in the K League 1. In the 2021 season, he appeared in 22 league matches, scoring 1 goal. He followed this with 32 appearances and 5 goals in the 2022 K League 1 season. As of the end of 2022, he has made 54 league appearances for Suwon FC, scoring 6 goals in total.
4. National Team Career
Kim Seung-jun represented South Korea across various youth national teams, participating in significant international tournaments and contributing to their successes.
4.1. Youth National Teams
Kim's international career began with the U-17 national team. On October 19, 2009, he scored a goal against the Thailand U-17 team in the qualifiers for the 2010 AFC U-16 Championship.
He later progressed to the U-20 national team. On November 2, 2011, he scored two goals against Guam in the qualifiers for the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship. In 2012, during the Valencia U-20 friendly tournament in Spain, he scored two goals against Ecuador in the third group stage match. In the same year, at the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship held in the United Arab Emirates, he scored against Thailand in the second group stage match, leading South Korea to a 2-1 victory. In the quarterfinals against Iran, he scored the team's third goal, contributing to a 4-1 win. South Korea went on to win the tournament, securing a spot in the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup to be held in Turkey. However, despite being named in the 21-man squad announced on June 11, 2013, Kim experienced severe abdominal pain at the team's accommodation and was diagnosed with acute appendicitis. Consequently, he had to return home without playing a single match in the tournament.
Kim was then promoted to the U-23 national team. In January 2015, he participated in the King's Cup in Thailand. He scored one goal with his head and another with his right foot in the qualifiers for the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship against East Timor and Indonesia, respectively. In the second group stage match of the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship against Yemen, he received an accurate pass from Park Yong-woo and scored the team's fifth goal, contributing to South Korea's dominant 5-0 victory. Although South Korea finished as runners-up to Japan in this tournament, they secured qualification for the 2016 Summer Olympics men's football tournament as one of the top three teams. However, Kim Seung-jun was ultimately excluded from the final squad for the Rio Olympics.
5. Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ulsan Hyundai | 2015 | K League 1 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 14 | 4 | ||
| 2016 | 30 | 8 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 32 | 8 | ||||
| 2017 | 30 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | 37 | 4 | |||
| 2018 | 19 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | - | 30 | 4 | |||
| Total | 90 | 17 | 14 | 2 | 9 | 1 | - | 113 | 20 | |||
| Gyeongnam FC | 2019 | K League 1 | 29 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 9 |
| 2020 | K League 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 30 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 9 | ||
| Busan IPark | 2020 | K League 1 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 0 | ||
| Suwon FC | 2021 | K League 1 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 23 | 1 | ||
| 2022 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 54 | 6 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 56 | 6 | ||||
| Career total | 185 | 29 | 19 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 220 | 35 | ||
6. Honours
Kim Seung-jun has accumulated several individual and team honours throughout his football career.
- South Korea U20
- AFC U-19 Championship: 2012
- South Korea U23
- King's Cup: 2015
- AFC U-23 Championship: Runner-up 2016
- Ulsan Hyundai
- FA Cup: 2017
7. Controversies
Kim Seung-jun's career has also faced public scrutiny due to allegations concerning his military service.
7.1. Military Service Evasion Allegation
In December 2022, Kim Seung-jun was implicated in a military service evasion scandal. The allegations specifically concerned individuals who reportedly faked epilepsy diagnoses to evade mandatory military service in South Korea. He was named as one of the figures under suspicion in this widely reported incident.
8. Other Activities
Beyond his professional football commitments, Kim Seung-jun has also engaged in other public activities.
On May 25, 2017, he participated in filming an advertisement video for FIFA Online 3, a popular online football game. He appeared alongside Ulsan Hyundai coach 김도훈Kim DohunKorean and teammates including 김용대Kim YongdaeKorean, 이종호Lee JonghoKorean, 김인성Kim InseongKorean, 최규백Choi GyubaekKorean, 박용우Park Yong-wooKorean, and 정승현Jeong Seung-hyeonKorean. The video showcased a new 3 vs. 3 role-play mode in the game, with the players demonstrating and actively playing it. This marked Ulsan Hyundai as the first Asian football club to be featured as advertising models for the game.