Park Ju-sung

1.1. Birth and Upbringing

Park Joo-sung was born on 20 February 1984, in Jinhae, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea. Jinhae is now part of Changwon.

1.2. Education

He attended Jinhae Deoksan Elementary School, Geoje Middle School, and Masan Technical High School (also known as Masan Industrial High School). Following his high school education, he continued his studies at Kwangwoon University.

2.1. K League Debut and Early Career

Park Joo-sung began his professional career in 2003, joining Suwon Samsung Bluewings in the K League. In his debut season, he made 11 league appearances. The following year, in 2004, he played 7 matches, including appearances in the Hauzen Cup.

In 2005, Park Joo-sung began his mandatory military service, joining Gwangju Sangmu Phoenix (also known as Sangju Sangmu Phoenix FC), a military football club. During his time with Gwangju Sangmu, he played 3 league games in 2005 and 15 league games in 2006. He typically wore jersey number 30 for Gwangju Sangmu. After completing his military service, he returned to Suwon Samsung Bluewings on 17 November 2006. He featured in the K League playoff match against Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma on 25 November 2006. For Suwon, he wore jersey number 23 from 2003 to 2004 and again in 2008, and number 3 from 2006 to 2007. Over his entire tenure with Suwon, he made a total of 26 appearances.

2.2. J.League Career

In 2009, Park Joo-sung made a full transfer to Vegalta Sendai in Japan's J.League. He quickly became a key player, making 34 appearances and scoring 2 goals in his inaugural season, helping the team achieve promotion to J1 League. He was known for his contributions to the left-side attack. A notable moment occurred on 21 November 2009, in a J2 League match against Cerezo Osaka at Yurtec Stadium Sendai, where he scored a decisive header in stoppage time, a type of goal he reportedly tried to avoid.

He continued to be a regular left-back for Vegalta Sendai in the J1 League during the 2011 and 2012 seasons, contributing to the team's strong league finishes. He wore jersey number 27 for Vegalta Sendai throughout his tenure. On 6 December 2012, Vegalta Sendai announced that his contract would not be renewed. At the time of his departure, Park Joo-sung was tied for the longest-serving foreign player at the club, having spent four seasons with Vegalta Sendai. His 153 league appearances also set a record for the most league appearances by a foreign player in the club's history.

2.3. Chinese League and Domestic Return

Following his departure from Japan, Park Joo-sung returned to South Korea in January 2013, joining Gyeongnam FC. He played a significant role for the club, even serving as team captain during the 2014 season. He wore jersey number 27 for Gyeongnam FC.

On 15 December 2014, he transferred to Guizhou Renhe in the Chinese Super League. He made 26 appearances for the Chinese club in 2015, but his team was ultimately relegated. After just one year in China, he returned to Gyeongnam FC in 2016.

In June 2017, Park Joo-sung moved to Daejeon Citizen in a trade that also involved his teammate Jeon Sang-hoon. He continued to wear jersey number 27 at Daejeon Citizen.

2.4. Playing Style and Notable Incidents

Park Joo-sung primarily played as a defender, specifically as a left-back, but he was also capable of playing as a midfielder. He stood at 73 in ^{(185 cm)} tall and weighed 172 lb ^{(78 kg)}.

One significant incident during his career occurred on 7 August 2010, during a home match for Vegalta Sendai against Yokohama F. Marinos. Park Joo-sung, who was a starter, suddenly collapsed on the pitch in the 36th minute of the first half and had to be substituted. He was diagnosed with heatstroke, which was attributed to insomnia caused by the hot weather conditions. Despite the match being held in the evening, the temperature was close to 86 °F ^{(30 °C)} with high humidity and no wind. Vegalta Sendai's coach, Makoto Teguramori, publicly criticized Park, stating that "a professional getting heatstroke is unprecedented in J.League, it's pathetic" and that it revealed Park's lack of attention to nutrition and sleep habits as a single man, suggesting he should eat more kimchi. Following this incident, Park Joo-sung reportedly worked to improve his lifestyle and successfully overcame his insomnia.

5.1. Nickname

Park Joo-sung earned the nickname 'Gargamel', a character from 'The Smurfs'. This moniker was attributed to his distinctive voice and a prominent jawline (주걱턱, jugeok-teok^Korean), which were said to resemble the animated villain.

5.2. Other Anecdotes

Park Joo-sung has a known fondness for Coca-Cola. During his time playing in Japan, especially in the J2 League, fans would often greet him with encouraging words such as "Good luck," "Are your legs okay?", and "Play 90 minutes." By his fourth year in Japan, he had developed sufficient proficiency in the Japanese language to communicate effectively with reporters.

7.1. Club Honors

Suwon Samsung Bluewings

• K League
  • Winner: 2004, 2008
  • Runner-up: 2006
• FA Cup
  • Runner-up: 2006
• Hauzen Cup
  • Winner: 2008