Former North Korean footballer Jong Tae-se takes celebrity coaching job seriously

Former North Korean footballer Jong Tae-se, now manager of celebrity squad FC Wonder Woman, trains harder than ever to be a role model to his players.

Jong Tae-se poses for a photo during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at Gangseo Hangang Park in western Seoul on July 21. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Former North Korean footballer Jong Tae-se, now manager of celebrity squad FC Wonder Woman, trains harder than ever to be a role model to his players.

“Maybe my football career would have been different if I had exercised this hard when I was a player,” Jong said during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at Gangseo Hangang Park in western Seoul on July 21. “I wake up 6:30 a.m. every day and do CrossFit workouts and ride a bike and train until 7 p.m.”

The reason behind Jong’s intense training is his effort to inspire his players. He leads FC Wonder Woman from Korean TV show “Kick a Goal” — a program in which female celebrities form football teams and compete each other under futsal rules.

Wonder Woman consists of actress Kim Hee-jung, rappers Kisum and Truedy, trot singer Hong Ja, weather forecaster Kim Ga-young and model Kim Seol-hee.

“I realized how managers feel as I became a manager and led my team,” Jong said. “A good leader is someone able to balance sincere encouragement and harsh criticism appropriately. I am determined to be a good manager as I take manager lessons.”

Jong was well-known for his unique career as a player.

Born in Japan to a South Korean father and a mother who had Joseon citizenship — a legal status assigned by the Japanese government to ethnic Koreans in Japan who don’t have Japanese nationality and who have not registered as South Korean nationals — Jung became a South Korean national.

He attended a private elementary school in Japan run by Chongryon — a group closely tied to the North Korean government that acts as the country’s de facto embassy in Japan — where he learned football.

He also went to Korea University — a private university in Tokyo funded by Chongryon — and was later able to get a North Korean passport issued by Chongryon.

That made him eligible to play for the North Korean national team and he went on to represent North Korea at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Although North Korea failed to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup, Jong caught the public eye after the match between North Korea and Brazil, during which Jong cried in tears of joy.

Jong Tae-se cries during a 2010 FIFA World Cup match between North Korea and Brazil at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa on June 16, 2010. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

“It was unimaginable for a non-elite player like me to compete at the World Cup,” Jong said. “There were [world-class] Brazilian players next to me. I will never forget that moment.”

Since he had South Korean citizenship, he was also able to play in South Korea and overseas. He moved around a number of teams, including FC Koln in the Bundesliga and the Suwon Samsung Bluewings in the K League during the 2010s.

“Footballer Jong’s hardware was like a bulldozer that broke through defense and scored goals, but its software [mentality] was weak,” Jong said. “I was so happy when I started a game, but it was like hell when I was on the bench. I had mood swings and I cried because I was so emotional. But I am confident to say that I’ve grown up as a person who cries for my family, players and others.

“I realized as a manager that players who cannot control their emotions like me negatively affect a team’s atmosphere. I am thankful for manager Seo Jung-won who cordially understood me when I was a Bluewing as well as all those coaches who worked with me."

BY SONG JI-HOON [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]