Kim Jong-hun (footballer)

For the footballer of the same name, see Kim Jeong-hoon (footballer, born 1991).

In this Korean name, the family name is Kim.

Kim Jong-hun

Personal information
Date of birth	(1956-09-01) September 1, 1956 (age 68)
Place of birth	Pyongyang, North Korea
Position(s)	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	April 25 Sports Club
Total			(139(4 og))
International career
1973–1985	North Korea	4	(0)
Managerial career
0000–2007	April 25
2007–2010	North Korea
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Kim Jong-hun
Hangul	김정훈
Hanja	金正勳
Revised Romanization	Gim Jeong-hun
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Chŏng-hun

Kim Jong-hun (김정훈; born September 1, 1956) is a retired North Korean footballer and football manager. He served as head coach of the North Korea national team, and managed them at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Biography

As a player, Kim Jong-hun has spent his career at April 25 Sports Club.^[1] He was capped four times for North Korea during the qualifications for the 1974 and 1986 FIFA World Cups.^[1]

After ending his player career, Kim became a manager. He managed April 25 Sports Team until 2007, when he became the manager of North Korea national team.^[1] In 2009, he led the team as it qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, their first since 1966.^[2][3]

After a disappointing showing at the World Cup, Kim faced harsh criticism upon his return to North Korea. Radio Free Asia reported that he was publicly shamed and condemned for hours in front of 400 people, including the North Korean sports minister.^[4]

At the same event, the team members were commanded to individually criticize their coach, who was accused of betraying General Kim Jong-un, the country's heir apparent.^[4] The report also mentioned that he had been stripped of his membership in the Workers' Party of Korea and forced to work hard labor on a construction site as punishment.^[4] It is however unknown whether Kim was really faced with such a violating punishment, as far as North Korea has its information mostly closed from the other world. Little is known about Kim Jong-hun's current (by January 2025) occupation, probably due to the same reason.

References

1. KIM Jong Hun, FIFA, archived from the original on 2010-06-15, retrieved 2010-06-18
2. After 43 years, North Korea back in Europe, CBS Sports, 2009-10-07, archived from the original on 2016-03-03, retrieved 2009-10-11
3. Kim ecstatic as North Korea make World Cup, ESPN, 2009-06-18, archived from the original on 2009-06-26, retrieved 2009-10-11
4. Moon Sung-hui; Jackson-Han, Sarah (July 28, 2010). "World Cup Team Shamed, Reprimanded". Radio Free Asia. Archived from the original on January 10, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2010.