1. Overview
Park Sung-Bae (박성배Bak Seong-baeKorean) is a retired South Korean football player who primarily played as a forward, and is currently a football coach. Born on November 28, 1975, he had a professional playing career spanning 12 years, notably playing for several prominent South Korean clubs including Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Busan IPark, and Suwon Samsung Bluewings. He also represented the South Korea national football team in international matches between 1999 and 2001. After retiring as a player in 2010, Park transitioned into coaching, contributing to youth development, national youth squads, and professional club teams, achieving significant successes in various roles. He has also worked as a sports commentator.
2. Personal Background
2.1. Birth and Education
Park Sung-Bae was born on November 28, 1975, in South Korea. He completed his secondary education at Cheongju Daeseong High School before furthering his studies in football at Soongsil University.
3. Playing Career
Park Sung-Bae's professional football career spanned over a decade, during which he played for several clubs in South Korea and briefly in New Zealand, making significant contributions as a forward.
3.1. Professional Debut and Major Clubs
Park Sung-Bae began his professional career in 1998, making his debut with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. He played a crucial role as a main striker for Jeonbuk for six seasons until 2004, contributing to two FA Cup victories and one runner-up finish, as well as reaching the final of the 2001-02 Asian Cup Winners' Cup. From 2003 to 2004, he fulfilled his military service requirements with Sangmu (now Gimcheon Sangmu FC).
In 2005, Park moved to FC Seoul, but he did not make any first-team appearances due to strong competition from other prominent forwards such as Kim Eun-jung, Jung Jo-gook, and Park Chu-young. He was subsequently loaned to Busan IPark in the same year, where he made 20 appearances and scored 5 goals. Upon returning to FC Seoul in 2006, he primarily played in the R-League, the reserve league, without featuring in the regular K-League or League Cup. In early 2007, he transferred to Suwon Samsung Bluewings, playing 13 matches and scoring 2 goals.
3.2. Career Statistics
The following table details Park Sung-Bae's club career statistics, including appearances and goals across various leagues and competitions:
| 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 | |||||||
| 1998 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | K-League | 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | - | 32 | 12 | |
| 1999 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 6 | - | 30 | 11 | |||
| 2000 | 23 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | - | 32 | 11 | |||
| 2001 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 3 | ||
| 2002 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 4 | ||
| 2003 | Gwangju Sangmu Bulsajo | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 26 | 2 | ||
| 2004 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | - | 31 | 3 | |||
| 2005 | Busan IPark | 20 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 7 | |
| 2006 | FC Seoul | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2007 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | - | 19 | 2 | ||
| New Zealand | League | Chatham Cup | League Cup | Oceania | Total | |||||||
| 2008-09 | YoungHeart Manawatu | NZFC | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 2009 | Eastern Suburbs | Northern League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| South Korea | League | KFA Cup | League Cup | Asia | Total | |||||||
| 2010 | Yongin City FC | Korea National League | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 17 | 3 | ||
| Total | South Korea | 189 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 71 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 261 | 58 | |
| New Zealand | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 195 | 41 | 1 | 0 | 71 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 267 | 59 | ||
3.3. National Team Career
Park Sung-Bae represented South Korea at the international level. On November 13, 1998, he participated in a friendly match against the China Professional Select Team in Beijing, China. Although this match was effectively between national teams, it was considered a professional selection team match and was not officially recognized as an A-match. Subsequently, from 1999 to 2001, Park made 8 official A-match appearances for the South Korean national football team, participating in tournaments such as the 1999 Korea Cup International Football Tournament and the 2001 Lunar New Year Cup.
3.4. Overseas and Other League Experience
After his tenure with Suwon Samsung Bluewings, Park Sung-Bae moved to New Zealand with his family in 2008. There, he played for YoungHeart Manawatu during the 2008-09 season of the New Zealand Football Championship, appearing in 6 matches and scoring 1 goal. He also had a stint with Eastern Suburbs AFC in the Northern League in 2009. In 2010, he returned to South Korea and joined Yongin City FC of the Korea National League as a player-coach. He played 17 matches and scored 3 goals for Yongin City FC before concluding his 12-year playing career.
4. Coaching Career
Following his retirement as a player in 2010, Park Sung-Bae transitioned into football coaching, holding various positions in youth development, national teams, and professional clubs.
4.1. Youth and National Team Coaching
In 2011, Park Sung-Bae began his coaching career as the head coach of FC Osan's youth team, leading their U-15 squad until 2013. His contributions to youth development continued as he became a full-time coach for the KFA in 2016. In this role, he served as the head coach of the South Korea U-14 national team and as an assistant coach for the U-20 national team. During his time with the U-20 squad, he played a part in their runner-up finish at the 2018 AFC U-19 Championship and their subsequent qualification for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
4.2. Professional and Club Coaching
In 2019, Park Sung-Bae returned to his former club, Suwon Samsung Bluewings, as a senior coach, marking his return to the team after 12 years. In this capacity, he contributed to Suwon's victory in the 2019 FA Cup and their qualification for the 2020 AFC Champions League. In January 2020, he was appointed as the senior coach for Ansan Greeners FC in the K League 2. During the 2020 season, despite Ansan being considered one of the weakest teams, Park helped guide them to a 7th-place finish. In 2021, he took on the role of head coach for Yangju Citizen FC, a club competing in the K3 League.
5. Broadcasting Activities
Beyond his playing and coaching roles, Park Sung-Bae has also been involved in sports broadcasting. He served as a commentator for the MBC television network during the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, providing expert analysis and insights into the matches.