Kim Min-jae knocks Son Heung-min off the Korean Player of the Year throne

Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae was named the Korea Football Association (KFA) Player of the Year on Tuesday alongside Chun Ga-gram of Hwacheon KSPO.

Kim Min-jae [NEWS1]

Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae was named the Korea Football Association (KFA) Player of the Year on Tuesday alongside Chun Ga-ram of Hwacheon KSPO.

The award, started in 2010, is a prize conferred to the best Korean player — one male and one female — in a calendar year. This year marks the first time both Kim and Chun have won the award.

Kim's ascension to the throne came at the expense of Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min, who has won the award seven times and was riding a four-year run before Kim took the title.

Kim edged out Son to win the award after showing a stellar performance with Napoli and Bayern Munich in 2023.

Kim became the first Korean player ever to win Italy's Scudetto last year after joining Napoli for an emphatic 2022-23 campaign, and was also named Serie A’s best defender for the season, facilitating a move to Bayern Munich, where he has played as a regular pick so far this season.

The Bayern defender is also the first defender to win the KFA Player of the Year since Kim Young-gwon in 2015.

Chun beat out veteran midfielder Ji So-yun of Suwon FC, who has also won the title seven times. Had Ji won this year, it would have been her third consecutive award.

The Hwacheon midfielder was also a key player for the women’s national team last year, competing in both the FIFA Women’s World Cup and Hangzhou Asian Games.

Her impressive form also allowed Hwacheon to finish as WK League runners-up last season — the best finish in club history.

Chun’s national team teammate Casey Yujin Phair won the Young Player of 2023 award. Phair became the youngest-ever player to debut for Korea at last year’s World Cup at the age of 16 years and 26 days old.

Daegu FC midfielder Hwang Jae-won was the male winner of the Young Player of 2023 award after winning a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.

FC Seoul manager Kim Gi-dong, who led the Pohang Steelers for the 2023 K League 1 season, won the Manager of the Year Award thanks to winning the 2023 Korean FA Cup and managing a runner-up finish in the K League.

WK League champions Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels manager Kim Eun-sook also won the award with the team’s 11th successive league title last year.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]