Ko Jong-soo

Born in Yeosu, Jeollanam-do, he graduated from Yeosu West Elementary School, Yeosu Gubong Middle School, and Kumho High School.[1]

He rose to stardom during the 1998 World Cup, along with Lee Dong-Gook, and Ahn Jung-Hwan. He was once called "the greatest technician in Korea,"[2] for his pace, skillful free kicks, and his left foot. He can operate in central midfield as well on the left wing.

In the early 2000s in the K-League, there was a nickname for where he'd kick the ball called "Go Jong-soo Zone ",[3] and his skills were so good that if he kicked a free kick there, there was a high probability that it'd lead to a goal. He also scored a free kick goal against then-world goalkeeper Chilavert in 2001.[4]

He was traded to Chunnam for the services of Kim Nam-Il who went to Suwon in exchange, but did not renew the contract.[5] He is not a free agent under the regulations. He had no choice but to play for any other team but Chunnam.

In September 2006, he has stated that he has managed to shed over 20 lbs[6] weighting 78 kg whereas he weighed about 76 kg during his heyday. In spite of renewed hopes of his much anticipated return, the latest Ko sighting was in December 2006. Ko was reportedly not in football shape and evaded reporter questions by driving off in a white Mercedes Benz. (But Ko denied this claim, saying: "After hearing that news, once I thought to give up the life of footballer.") On 8 January 2007, Daejeon Citizen signed Ko one year after Chunnam Dragons agreed on his transfer.[7] His wage will be decided based on how well he performs in winter training camp in Cyprus.[8] Ko expressed a strong desire to return to the sport, telling an interviewer: "I will play for Daejeon regarding this chance as the last."

In February 2009, he announced his retirement.[9]

He is considered a player who is good at using his left foot, is skilled at taking free kicks, and can bring creativity to mid-field lines. He became known as "L'enfant Terrible" after wowing audiences with sensuous passes, shots, and sharp crosses.[10]

He played for the Korea-Japan All-Star game in January 2001, and scored a fantastic free-kick against Jose Luis Chilavert.[11]

On September 4, 2002, he scored the longest-left goal (57m) in an away game against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the K-League.[12]

In 2007, he was named the ' most anticipated soccer player of 2007 ' by a leading online newspaper and a website specializing in overseas soccer.[13]

[14]

Results list South Korea's goal tally first.

Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
January 25, 1997	Sydney, Australia	New Zealand	1 goal	3-1	1997 Opus Tournament
January 29, 1998	Bangkok, Thailand	Thailand	1 goal	2-0	1998 King's Cup
June 5, 1999	Seoul, South Korea	Belgium	1 goal	1-2	Friendly match
January 24, 2001	Hong Kong	Norway	1 goal	2-3	2001 Carlsberg Cup
January 27, 2001	Hong Kong	Paraguay	1 goal	1-1 (6-5 PSO)	2001 Carlsberg Cup
February 11, 2001	Dubai, UAE	United Arab Emirates	1 goal	4-1	2001 Dubai Tournament

• Ko Jong-soo – K League stats at kleague.com (in Korean)
• Ko Jong-soo – FIFA competition record
• Ko Jong-soo at National-Football-Teams.com
• Ko Jong-soo at J.League (in Japanese)