Choi Sung-kuk

Choi Sung-Kuk
최성국

Personal information
Full name	Choi Sung-Kuk
Date of birth	8 February 1983
Place of birth	Seoul, Republic of Korea
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 7 ^1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Forward, Winger
Youth career
2001–2002	Korea University
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2003–2006	Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i	84	(10)
2005	→ Kashiwa Reysol (Loan)	8	(0)
2007–2010	Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma	49	(7)
2009–2010	→ Gwangju Sangmu (army)	48	(13)
2011	Suwon Bluewings	12	(1)
Total		201	(31)
National team^‡
1997–1998	South Korea U-17	0	(0)
1999–2003	South Korea U-20	15	(12)
2001–2006	South Korea U-23	40	(3)
2002–2011	South Korea	26	(2)
Honours Competitor for  South Korea Men's football Asian Games 2002 Busan Team
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 November 2010. † Appearances (goals) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 9 February 2011

Choi Sung-kuk
Hangul	최성국
Hanja	崔成國
Revised Romanization	Choe Seong-Guk
McCune–Reischauer	Ch'oe Sŏngguk

Choi Sung-Kuk (born 8 February 1983) is a South Korean football Forward.

He was part of the South Korea 2004 Olympic football team, who finished second in Group A, making it through to the next round, before being defeated by silver medal winners Paraguay. He was also capped for South Korean U-20 team at 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.

A member of Korea's squad for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, he scored a goal in the opening match against Saudi Arabia.

Club career

Ulsan

Choi joined Ulsan Hyundai, the K-League giant in 2003. Ulsan placed second in the league that season. In 2005, he was loaned out to J. League side Kashiwa Reysol, but after a 5-month disappointing spell, he returned to Ulsan. Following his return, Ulsan won the league that year. Choi also became the top scorer for the Hauzen Cup, which is the Korean League Cup. It seemed definite that Choi would become Ulsan's icon, but he moved to Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, which made many Ulsan supporters extremely angry at the board.

Seongnam

Choi helped Seongnam become the runner-up that season. However, after his disappointing 2008 season Choi announced he would join the army in 2009, which angered many Seongnam fans. He moved to Gwangju Sangmu, the army team at the beginning of the 2009 season. There, his partnership with Kim Myung-Joong was the core of Gwangju's surprising performance.

In late 2010, he returned to Seongnam and participated in the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup. He scored in the quarterfinal against United Arab Emirates side Al-Wahda.

Suwon

Choi moved to Suwon Samsung Bluewings prior to the 2011 season.

Match-fixing scandal in June 2011

Choi was implicated in a match-fixing scandal while playing for the military team, Sangmu. He denied his involvement when media reports raised the allegations about throwing matches, but soon admitted it as the scandal deepened. Consequently, he was tentatively dropped from his team.

It was officially announced in August 2011 that he would not be able to play in the all league systems in South Korea permanently.

Rabotnički

On 16 January 2012, it was announced that Choi would join Macedonian side FK Rabotnički^[1] It was to be his first club in Europe of his career. However, his move fell through after the Football Federation of Macedonia rejected the player's registration after K-League revealed Choi had been banned from playing professional football in any league by FIFA.^[2] As of 16 March 2012, Choi Sung-Kuk future football career is in doubt.

Club career statistics

As of 25 July 2011

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
South Korea			League		KFA Cup		League Cup		Asia		Total
2003	Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i	K-League	27	7	0	0	-		-		27	7
2004			19	1	4	3	0	0	-		23	4
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		League Cup		Asia		Total
2005	Kashiwa Reysol	J. League Division 1	8	0	0	0	4	0	-		12	0
South Korea			League		KFA Cup		League Cup		Asia		Total
2005	Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i	K-League	16	1	1	0	0	0	-		17	1
2006			22	1	1	0	13	8	4	4	40	13
2007	Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma		27	3	0	0	1	0	8	3	36	6
2008			18	4	2	0	8	3	-		28	7
2009	Gwangju Sangmu		26	9	0	0	2	0	-		28	9
2010			22	4	3	1	2	0	-		27	5
	Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma		4	0	0	0	0	0	3	1	7	1
2011	Suwon Samsung Bluewings		12	1	1	1	0	0	6	0	19	2
Total	South Korea		193	31	12	5	26	11	21	8	252	55
	Japan		8	0	0	0	4	0	-		12	0
Career total			201	31	12	5	30	11	21	8	264	55

International career statistics

^[3][4]

Korea Republic national team
Year	Apps	Goals
2003	4	1
2004	4	0
2005	3	0
2006	3	0
2007	7	1
2008	3	0
2009	0	0
2010	1	0
2011	1	0
Total	26	2

International goals

Results list South Korea's goal tally first.

Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
27 September 2003	Incheon	Oman	1 goal	1–0	2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification
11 July 2007	Jakarta	Saudi Arabia	1 goal	1–1	2007 AFC Asian Cup

References

1. Choi Sung-Kuk arrived at Rabotnicki at MacedonianFootball.com, 16 January 2012
2. "Fifa bans South Korea's Choi Sung-Kuk in wake of match-fixing scandal". Goal.com. 16 March 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
3. Choi Sung-kuk at National-Football-Teams.com
4. http://www.kfa.or.kr/eng_renew/koreateam/km_match_list.asp?k_team_type=1

External links

• Choi Sung-kuk – K League stats at kleague.com
• National Team Player Record (Korean)
• Choi Sung-kuk – FIFA competition record
• Choi Sung-kuk at National-Football-Teams.com