Koo Ja-cheol (36), the youth advisor of Jeju SK, who is about to take off his soccer shoes and face his second soccer life, praised Ki Sung-yueng (36, FC Seoul) and Lee Chung-yong (37, Ulsan HD).

Koo Ja-cheol attended the retirement press conference and youth advisor appointment ceremony held at the soccer center in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 14th, and had time to look back on his career by holding the microphone. Wearing a Jeju United (currently SK) uniform in 2007, he was famous as a next-generation national midfielder, including becoming the K-League's Help King and the Best 11 in 2010. The following year, he challenged the European stage by wearing a Wolfsburg (Germany) uniform, and played in his heyday in Augsburg and Mainz. After spending a short time in the Qatar League at the end of his career, he returned to his former team in 2022 and kept his promise to "only wear Jeju jerseys in the K-League." He ended his career with a record of nine goals and 21 assists in 116 K-League games by 2024. The club's total record is 50 goals and 41 assists in 412 games.
Koo has also made several bold records in the national team. He scored 19 goals in 76 A matches. Notably, he was the top scorer at the 2011 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup. He tied the team's bronze medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.

The highlight was the 2012 London Olympics. Back then, he teamed up with Ki Sung-yueng and Lee Chung-yong as members of the golden generation, and became the first bronze medalist in Korean soccer history. It was Koo Ja-cheol who scored in the bronze medal match against Japan. The player himself pointed out the score as one of the most memorable goals in his career. "The moment when I came to the podium with the bronze medal around my neck is the most memorable," he added.

Koo is known to be close with Ki and Lee. Reflecting on their relationship on the day, he said, "They are my friends who gave me great strength. I contacted them first whenever something happened. We had many conversations on small issues. When I told them that I had decided to retire, they expressed regret and said, "Good job." I am so grateful to them. As a player, I respect them." "I tried to follow their strengths. They are so great players. They were my teammates to correct me when I was in a slump. Ki and Lee love soccer more than I do. I will retire first, but I want to tell them that I will wait for them."  메이저놀이터

He also added that he is considering various roles for the future of Korean soccer. "As you know, Ki is taking a leadership class. However, there is something in common while talking with them. Both the administration and the leaders need to learn," Koo said. Ki also shares many stories when he returns from overseas. "I will play the role of youth advisor, but I am also taking the leadership certification course. Administratively, I want to help the Jeju SK team with my own experience," he said. "I don't want to rush things out of greed. I have friends who have done big things like Ki Sung-yueng and Lee Chung-yong, so I have no worries."

Meanwhile, Koo even shed tears as he recalled the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Back then, he went on the world stage as the youngest captain of the Korean national team, but Korea was eliminated from the group stage. "It's pain, atonement, and regret that I always had in mind. I was too young back then. Professional players and national team players have social responsibilities. I didn't know that at the time. I was sorry to make the public regret because of my lack of skills," Koo said. "Professional players should be both a dream and an object of admiration for children. That's my social responsibility as a professional player."

Finally, he added, "I think it's important to set a goal. A goal I really want to have. You can talk to the stars like me. There is a big difference between those who are motivated and those who are not. It makes a difference in behavior."