Huh Jung-moo
South Korean footballer
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Huh Jung-moo (Korean: 허정무; Hanja: 許丁茂; born 13 January 1955) is a former South Korean football player and manager.
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Huh in 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Huh Jung-moo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 13 January 1955 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Jindo, South Korea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1968–? | Mokpo Chungho Middle School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ?–1971 | Joongdong Middle School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1971–1974 | Yongdungpo Technical High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1977 | Yonsei University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978–1980 | Korea Electric Power | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978–1980 | → ROK Navy (draft) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980–1983 | PSV Eindhoven | 77 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1986 | Hyundai Horang-i | 36 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 113 | (15) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1973–1974 | South Korea U20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1986 | South Korea | 104 | (30) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | POSCO Atoms (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Pohang Atoms | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | South Korea (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995 | South Korea (caretaker) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1998 | Jeonnam Dragons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | South Korea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | South Korea (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Jeonnam Dragons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | South Korea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Incheon United | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club career
Huh was one of the best South Korean college footballers before starting his semi-professional career. He was often compared with Korea University's Cha Bum-kun while playing for Yonsei University. After his graduation, he joined Korea Electric Power FC, and simultaneously enlisted in Marine Corps and Navy FC to do mandatory military service.[3]
When Huh was discharged from the military service, European clubs were interested in Asian players thanks to Cha's performances at the Bundesliga. Motivated by Cha, Huh also wanted to leave for Europe,[3] joining Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven in August 1980.[4] For three years at PSV, he mainly played as a defensive midfielder, making opposing teams' key players tired. After suffering from Huh's persistent defense, Johan Cruyff intentionally broke Huh's nose with his arm,[3] and Willem van Hanegem made a "slant-eye" gesture to Huh.[5] Huh decided to return to South Korea at the end of the 1982–83 season. His wife felt homesick at the time, and he also did not feel the need to live abroad after hearing the news that a professional league would be founded in his country.[3][6] Huh joined newly-formed Hyundai Horang-i in 1984, playing for them for three years.
International career
Huh played for the South Korea national team between 1974 and 1986. He helped the team win two Asian Games titles and qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
Huh was famous for a scene of him making Diego Maradona grimace during the 1986 World Cup. His kick hit Maradona's leg instead of the ball when he attempted a clearance in the middle of South Korea's opener against Argentina. He then scored a goal against Italy.[7]
Style of play
Huh was nicknamed the "Jindo dog". He exhaustively performed his managers' orders, reminding others of the indigenous dog of his hometown Jindo County.[3][8] Early in his career, Huh played as a striker, winger or attacking midfielder for South Korea, being in charge of offensive roles. He started to play as a defensive midfielder after joining PSV, and even played as a left-back at the World Cup.[3] He did not have rapid pace, but showed great stamina and intelligent movements.[3]
Managerial career
Pohang Atoms
In April 1989, Huh was appointed a coach of the South Korea national team, beginning his coaching career.[9] He was promoted to the assistant coach when manager Lee Hoe-taik left for K League club POSCO Atoms after the 1990 FIFA World Cup,[10] but he decided to follow Lee the next month.[11]
After working as assistant coach to Lee for about two years at POSCO Atoms (renamed Pohang Atoms in 1995), Huh was promoted to manager prior to the 1993 season.[12] He led the team to win the Korean League Cup title in his first season as a manager.[13] In 1995, his team advanced to the league's final by winning the second stage of the regular season, but conceded the golden goal in the rematch after drawing the two-legged final with Ilhwa Chunma.[14][15] He left the club that year, although they suggested a contract extension.[16]
Jeonnam Dragons
In May 1996, Huh started to manage Jeonnam Dragons at the same league.[17] In 1997, Jeonnam finished runners-up at both the league and the Korean League Cup despite their 21-match unbeaten run under him.[18] But his efforts bore fruit at the end of the season, with his team winning the Korean FA Cup.[19]
South Korea
While managing POSCO Atoms, he simultaneously worked as the assistant coach of the South Korea national team between December 1993 and June 1994,[20] and temporarily managed them in a 1–0 friendly defeat to Brazil on 12 August 1995.[21] In August 1998, he was appointed South Korea's permanent manager, leaving Jeonnam Dragons.[22]
During his first managerial career at the national team, Huh was criticised for his coercive acts and one-way communication towards players. His team was eliminated in the quarter-finals and the semi-finals at the 1998 Asian Games and the 2000 AFC Asian Cup respectively before he was replaced by Guus Hiddink in 2001. Despite these results, he was re-evaluated after a considerable number of young players discovered by him led the team to the semi-finals at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.[23]
Return to Jeonnam
In June 2001, Huh became the director of the Yongin Football Center, newly formed to nurture young talents.[24] He took charge of the center even after he was reappointed manager of Jeonnam Dragons in December 2004,[25] but he then attempted to transfer the center's player Lee Seung-yeoul to Jeonnam through his acquaintance instead of an official agent before leaving there in November 2005.[26]
During his second spell at Jeonnam, Huh won two Korean FA Cup titles, but K League fans made an imaginary standings, which awarded three points for a draw, one additional point for a goalless draw and no points for a win or a loss, with the name of "Huh Jung-moo Cup" to criticise his poor results at the league, which contained numerous draws.[27]
Return to South Korea
After Hiddink's success at the 2002 World Cup, South Korea continuously employed foreign managers until 2007. When Pim Verbeek left the team after the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, they were interested in Mick McCarthy and Gérard Houllier, but their offers were refused. South Korea then chose Huh in December, recruiting a native manager for the first time in seven years.[28] South Korea lost 1–0 to Chile in Huh's first match on 30 January 2008 before going on a 27-match unbeaten run until a 0–0 draw with Denmark on 14 November 2009.[29] His team earned seven wins and seven draws without defeat in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, qualifying for the tournament as group winners.[30] He was named the AFC Coach of the Year thanks to these results, whereas the processes of the results caused controversy among South Korean fans, who nicknamed his style "Huhmoo (the Korean word for hollow) football".[31]
Huh became the first-ever South Korean manager to win a FIFA World Cup match when South Korea defeated Greece 2–0 in their 2010 tournament opener.[32] Afterwards, his team finished runners-up in the Group B by losing 4–1 to Argentina and drawing 2–2 with Nigeria. He led his country to advance to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time on foreign soil.[33] They went out of the competition in the round of 16, where they lost 2–1 to Uruguay.[34]
Incheon United
Between August 2010 and April 2012, Huh managed another K League club Incheon United.[35] In the 2011 season, his team drew 14 out of 30 league matches, reminding fans of the "Huh Jung-moo Cup".[36] Prior to the 2012 season, Incheon changed most of the players in their squad, and he promised fans a top-eight finish.[37] However, he brought only one win in seven matches before resigning from the club early in the season.[38]
Administrative career
In March 2013, Huh was appointed a vice-president of the Korea Football Association (KFA) by president Chung Mong-gyu.[39] In July 2014, he resigned from the association along with national team manager Hong Myung-bo for the team's poor performance at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[40]
Since 2015, Huh worked at the K League Federation as the vice-president before being selected as the director of K League 2 club Daejeon Hana Citizen in 2020.[41]
After leaving Daejeon Hana Citizen in June 2023,[42] Huh ran for KFA president in November 2024.[43] He was one of three candidates along with existing president Chung Mong-gyu and another challenger Shin Moon-sun. In February 2025, he lost to Chung in the election.[44]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Korea Electric Power | 1978 | National Semipro League | ? | ? | — | — | — | ? | ? | |||
| ROK Navy (draft) | 1978 | National Semipro League | ? | ? | ?[a] | ? | — | — | ? | ? | ||
| 1979 | National Semipro League | ? | ? | ?[a] | ? | — | — | ? | ? | |||
| 1980 | National Semipro League | ? | ? | ?[a] | ? | — | — | ? | ? | |||
| Total | ? | ? | ? | ? | — | — | ? | ? | ||||
| PSV Eindhoven | 1980–81 | Eredivisie | 28 | 6 | ?[b] | ? | — | 4 | 0 | 32 | 6 | |
| 1981–82 | Eredivisie | 30 | 4 | ?[b] | ? | — | 2 | 1 | 32 | 5 | ||
| 1982–83 | Eredivisie | 19 | 1 | ?[b] | ? | — | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 | ||
| Total | 77 | 11 | ? | ? | — | 7 | 1 | 84 | 12 | |||
| Hyundai Horang-i | 1984 | K League | 23 | 3 | — | — | — | 23 | 3 | |||
| 1985 | K League | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||||
| 1986 | K League | 8 | 0 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 11 | 1 | |||
| Total | 36 | 4 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 39 | 5 | ||||
| Career total | 113 | 15 | ? | ? | 3 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 123 | 17 | ||
- Appearance(s) in Korean National Championship, Korean President's Cup
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 1974 | 5 | 1 |
| 1975 | 8 | 1 | |
| 1976 | 9 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 24 | 11 | |
| 1978 | 19 | 4 | |
| 1979 | 6 | 5 | |
| 1980 | 8 | 2 | |
| 1984 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1985 | 7 | 4 | |
| 1986 | 9 | 1 | |
| Career total | 104 | 30 | |
| Competition | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Friendlies | 11 | 5 |
| Minor competitions | 33 | 14 |
| Asian Games | 12 | 1 |
| AFC Asian Cup qualification | 10 | 2 |
| AFC Asian Cup | 4 | 0 |
| Summer Olympics qualification | 12 | 2 |
| FIFA World Cup qualification | 19 | 5 |
| FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 104 | 30 |
- Results list South Korea's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 December 1974 | Bangkok, Thailand | 4 |  Thailand | 3–1 | 3–1 (a.e.t.) | 1974 King's Cup |
| 2 | 22 May 1975 | Seoul, South Korea | 10 |  Burma | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1975 Korea Cup |
| 3 | 4 November 1976 | Tokyo, Japan | 20 |  Japan | 1–1 | 2–1 | Japan–South Korea regular match |
| 4 | 14 February 1977 | Singapore | 23 |  Singapore | 3–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 5 | 18 February 1977 | Manama, Bahrain | 24 |  Bahrain | 1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 6 | 4–1 | ||||||
| 7 | 20 February 1977 | Manama, Bahrain | 25 | Bahrain | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 8 | 17 July 1977 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 33 |  Libya | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1977 Pestabola Merdeka |
| 9 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 10 | 4–0 | ||||||
| 11 | 26 July 1977 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 36 |  Malaysia | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1977 Pestabola Merdeka |
| 12 | 3 September 1977 | Seoul, South Korea | 40 | Thailand | 4–0 | 5–1 | 1977 Korea Cup |
| 13 | 5–0 | ||||||
| 14 | 4 December 1977 | Busan, South Korea | 46 |  Hong Kong | 2–0 | 5–2 | 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 13 September 1978 | Daegu, South Korea | 55 | Bahrain | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1978 Korea Cup |
| 16 | 12 December 1978 | Bangkok, Thailand | 57 |  Kuwait | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1978 Asian Games |
| 17 | 25 December 1978 | Manila, Philippines | 63 |  Macau | 1–0 | 4–1 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
| 18 | 29 December 1978 | Manila, Philippines | 65 |  China | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
| 19 | 8 September 1979 | Seoul, South Korea | 68 |  Sudan | 4–0 | 8–0 | 1979 Korea Cup |
| 20 | 12 September 1979 | Daegu, South Korea | 69 |  Sri Lanka | 1–0 | 6–0 | 1979 Korea Cup |
| 21 | 16 September 1979 | Incheon, South Korea | 71 |  Bangladesh | 1–0 | 9–0 | 1979 Korea Cup |
| 22 | 5–0 | ||||||
| 23 | 7–0 | ||||||
| 24 | 22 March 1980 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 74 | Japan | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1980 Summer Olympics qualification |
| 25 | 27 March 1980 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 76 |  Philippines | 8–0 | 8–0 | 1980 Summer Olympics qualification |
| 26 | 6 April 1985 | Seoul, South Korea | 91 |  Nepal | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 27 | 4–0 | ||||||
| 28 | 30 July 1985 | Jakarta, Indonesia | 94 |  Indonesia | 3–0 | 4–1 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 29 | 3 November 1985 | Seoul, South Korea | 95 | Japan | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 30 | 10 June 1986 | Puebla, Mexico | 99 |  Italy | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1986 FIFA World Cup |
Honours
Player
Yonsei University
- Korean National Championship runner-up: 1974[48]
ROK Navy
Hyundai Horang-i
South Korea U20
- AFC Youth Championship third place: 1973, 1974[51]
South Korea
Individual
- Korean National Championship top goalscorer: 1974[48]
- Korean FA Best XI: 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1986[53][54][55][56][57][58][59]
- Korean President's Cup Best Player: 1979[49]
- Korean FA Most Valuable Player: 1984[57]
- K League 1 Best XI: 1984[60]
- K League '80s All-Star Team: 2003[61]
Manager
POSCO Atoms
Jeonnam Dragons
- Korean FA Cup: 1997, 2006, 2007[50]
- Korean League Cup runner-up: 1997[50]
South Korea
- AFC Asian Cup third place: 2000[62]
- EAFF Championship: 2008[63]
Individual
- K League All-Star: 1995, 2005, 2006[64][65][66]
- AFC Coach of the Month: May 1999, October 1999[67][68]
- Korean FA Cup Best Manager: 2006, 2007[69][70]
- AFC Coach of the Year: 2009[71]
