Seo Jung-won


Seo Jung-won is a South Korean former football player and current coach. A winger who had explosive pace, he was nicknamed the "Nalssaendori", meaning an agile man in South Korea.

Playing career

Seo played for South Korea under-23 at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, and went into the opponents' goalpost with a goal during the match against Sweden. He was reportedly offered a contract from FC Barcelona and other European club giants after his performances at the Olympics, but he stayed South Korea to serve a two-year mandatory military service. He also played for South Korea at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and scored the equalizer against Spain.
After serving his military service in Sangmu FC, Seo longed to play in Europe, and even left for Germany and the Netherlands to participate in tryouts. In the summer of 1997, he succeeded to contract with Portuguese Benfica and appeared four games with a goal in the pre-season. However, the Korean FA didn't approve of his employment to qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup with him. In January 1998, joining a French club Strasbourg, Seo became the first South Korean player who played in the Ligue 1. He successfully spent his first season by contributing to their survival in the Ligue 1, but he was pushed to the bench next season after his manager was replaced. He participated in the 1998 FIFA World Cup although he got chickenpox, transferred from his son, but showed unnoticeable performance with the team's elimination in the group stage.
In February 1999, he returned to South Korea and joined Suwon Samsung Bluewings. He led the heyday of Suwon for six years with 12 trophies, including two Asian Club Championship. Lastly, he played for Austria Salzburg and SV Ried in the Austrian Bundesliga. He was also selected as the Austrian Footballer of the Year by two Austrian media Kurier and :de:Sport-Woche|Sportwoche in 2005.

Managerial career

After South Korea's head coach Pim Verbeek resigned in July 2007, Seo entered the list for the vacant managerial position for the national team. From 2009 to 2010, he and his former national teammate and close friend, Hong Myung-bo, worked together as a part of the coaching staff for the South Korea under-20 and under-23 team. In 2010, Seo joined the coaching staff of the senior team under manager Cho Kwang-rae. Since 2012, he has been a member of the coaching staff of the Suwon Samsung Bluewings, becoming the club's manager in 2013. Under his tenure, the Bluewings finished the 2014 and 2015 seasons as runner-ups and won the Korean FA Cup in 2016. The FA Cup Final was notable as it featured Suwon Samsung Bluewings and FC Seoul, one of the biggest K League rivalries. The match went into extra time after FC Seoul scored a goal in the 93rd minute, leveling the aggregate score to 3–3 over two legs. After a scoreless extra time period, the final was decided over penalties where Suwon Samsung Bluewings won 10–9. This was Seo's first silverware of his managing career.

Career statistics

Club

Source:

International goals

DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
September 8, 1990Busan, South Korea1 goal1–0Friendly match
September 23, 1990Beijing, China2 goals7–01990 Asian Games
September 27, 1990Beijing, China2 goals2–01990 Asian Games
April 28, 1993Ulsan, South Korea1 goal2–2Friendly match
May 15, 1993Beirut, Lebanon1 goal3–01994 FIFA World Cup qualification
June 19, 1993Seoul, South Korea1 goal1–21993 President's Cup
September 24, 1993Seoul, South Korea1 goal1–1Friendly match
June 17, 1994Dallas, United States1 goal2–21994 FIFA World Cup
October 15, 1994Hiroshima, Japan1 goal1–21994 Asian Games
September 25, 1996Seoul, South Korea1 goal3–1Korea-China Annual Match
February 22, 1997Hong Kong1 goal2–01998 FIFA World Cup qualification
June 14, 1997Suwon, South Korea1 goal3–01997 Korea Cup
June 16, 1997Seoul, South Korea1 goal1–11997 Korea Cup
September 28, 1997Tokyo, Japan1 goal2–11998 FIFA World Cup qualification

Managerial

Honours

Player

LG Cheetahs
Sangmu FC
Suwon Samsung Bluewings
SV Ried
South Korea
Individual
Suwon Samsung Bluewings