Park Ji-sung named technical director for K League’s Jeonbuk

South Korean football legend Park Ji-sung was named the new technical director for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on Thursday, being elevated from a consulting position to a powerful executive role for the K League 1 title holders.

Park had been the club’s adviser since last year. Jeonbuk said they appointed him their technical director while extending his contract.

This photo provided by Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on Sept. 1, 2022, shows the K League 1 club’s new technical director, Park Ji-sung. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Park spent his entire club career outside South Korea, having played in Japan, the Netherlands and in England as the first South Korean in the Premier League.

Internationally, Park represented South Korea at three consecutive FIFA World Cups starting in 2002. He famously scored a career-defining goal against Portugal in the final group match in 2002, sending South Korea into the knockout stage for the first time with a 1-0 victory.

Park also scored at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Then in the 2010 tournament in South Africa, Park captained South Korea to the round of 16 and also became the first Asian player to score in three consecutive World Cups.

In his post-playing career, the former Manchester United midfielder served as head of the youth development strategy for the Korea Football Association from November 2017 to December 2018. Park also completed the FIFA Master course, a sports management program coordinated by the International Centre for Sports Studies and endorsed by FIFA, in 2017.

Jeonbuk set a K League record last year by capturing their fifth consecutive title. They are in second place this season, trailing Ulsan Hyundai FC by nine points with 10 matches left.

“I am pleased to stay with Jeonbuk,” Park said. “Now that I’ve learned more about the K League and Jeonbuk, I will try to turn Jeonbuk into an even stronger club.”

The team said Park will continue to split his time between South Korea and his home in England.