Hwang Sun-hong
South Korean football player and manager
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Hwang Sun-hong (born 14 July 1968) is a South Korean football manager and former player. He is currently manager of K League 1 club Daejeon Hana Citizen. During his playing career, he played for the South Korea national team at the 1990, 1994 and 2002 FIFA World Cups.
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Hwang in 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Hwang Sun-hong | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 14 July 1968 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Yesan, Chungnam, South Korea | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Striker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Daejeon Hana Citizen (manager) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seoul Yongmoon Middle School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seoul Yongmoon High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1990 | Konkuk University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Bayer Leverkusen II | 24 | (16) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | Wuppertaler SV | 9 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1998 | Pohang Steelers | 52 | (26) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Cerezo Osaka | 36 | (30) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | → Kashiwa Reysol (loan) | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Kashiwa Reysol | 34 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Jeonnam Dragons | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 155 | (87) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | South Korea U23 | 4[α] | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–2002 | South Korea | 103 | (50) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Busan IPark | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2015 | Pohang Steelers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | FC Seoul | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Yanbian Funde | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Daejeon Hana Citizen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | South Korea U23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | South Korea (caretaker) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Daejeon Hana Citizen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club career
After graduating from Konkuk University, Hwang decided not to enter his country's K League and began his senior career in Germany.[1] During his first season as a senior player, he played for the reserve team of Bayer Leverkusen, scoring 16 goals at the Oberliga Nordrhein, Germany's third division at the time.[2]
The next season, Hwang joined 2. Bundesliga side Wuppertaler SV, but he appeared in only nine matches due to a cruciate ligament injury.[3]
Hwang joined K League club POSCO Atoms (currently Pohang Steelers) after returning to South Korea in June 1993.[4] He won two Asian Club Championships with Pohang, whereas he failed to win a K League title.[5] In 1995, he scored in eight consecutive K League matches, setting a record.[6]
In 1998, Hwang moved to J1 League club Cerezo Osaka. At the 1999 J1 League, he scored 24 goals during 25 appearances, becoming the top goalscorer. He is the first South Korean footballer to become the top scorer at a foreign league.[7] That year, he was also nominated for the Asian Footballer of the Year by the Asian Football Confederation.[8] In late 2003, he retired as a player, and started his coaching career.
International career
1990 World Cup
An unknown college player, Hwang was suddenly selected for the South Korea national team for the 1988 AFC Asian Cup by manager Lee Hoe-taik.[9] At the tournament, he scored his first and second goals against Japan and Iran respectively.
Hwang was included in the national team for the 1990 FIFA World Cup after showing his outstanding performances including seven goals during the qualifying campaign. However, he had difficulty in performing teamwork, while South Korea lost all three group stage matches at the competition.[10]
1994 World Cup
Hwang showed poor performances, with he scoring only one goal in the qualifiers for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He gradually regained his capability in friendly matches just before the World Cup,[11] but injured his left knee in the last friendly against Honduras. Although he was not in a stable condition, manager Kim Ho used him as a main striker at the competition.[12] He apologised to his teammates after their first group stage match against Spain,[13] where he missed two crucial chances.[14] In the second match against Bolivia, he continuously missed several chances, and South Korea had to face a goalless draw.[15] He scored a goal in the last group stage against defending champions Germany, but the match ended in a 3–2 defeat. After South Korea was eliminated in the group stage, he was severely blamed for his inexact shots against Bolivia by South Korean fans, suffering from social anxiety disorder.[3]
1996 Summer Olympics
In contrast with fans' criticism, Hwang was consistently chosen as a striker of the national team by managers. At the 1994 Asian Games, he scored eleven goals in five matches, becoming the tournament's top goalscorer.[16]
Hwang also played for the South Korea under-23 team as an overage player at the 1996 Summer Olympics. He contributed to a victory by winning a crucial penalty in the first match against Ghana,[17] but he quit the tournament due to an injury in the first half of the second match.[18]
Hwang looked forward to the 1998 FIFA World Cup to make up for his failure at the 1994 World Cup, but he was injured by Chinese goalkeeper Jiang Jin in a friendly just before the World Cup.[19] He was excluded from South Korea's line-up during the tournament.[3]
2002 World Cup
During the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, Hwang won the Bronze Shoe after scoring in two victories over Mexico and Australia.[20]
Hwang was still South Korea's first-choice striker even at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He scored the opener in the first match against Poland, which ended in a 2–0 win, helping South Korea achieve their first-ever win at the FIFA World Cup.[21] In the second match, a 1–1 draw with the United States, he had injured his head, but won a penalty after wrapping a bandage around his head. In a 5–3 penalty shoot-out win of a quarter-final match against Spain, he scored South Korea's first penalty.
Hwang made 103 appearances and 50 goals for South Korea alongside six operations due to injuries.[22][3] He ended his international career after the 2002 World Cup.
Coaching career
In 2005, Hwang was appointed as assistant coach of Jeonnam Dragons and started his coaching career. He received Best Coach Award at the 2006 Korean FA Cup.[23] On 4 December 2007, he signed a three-year contract with Busan IPark, becoming their manager.
Managerial career
Pohang Steelers
On 9 November 2010, Hwang returned to his former team Pohang Steelers as a new manager. He guided Pohang to the second place in the regular season of the 2011 K-League, and a Korean FA Cup title in 2012. He preferred the club's youth players to foreign players, and completed high-quality teamwork nicknamed the "Steel-taka". He became one of the most notable managers in South Korea after winning the K League 1 and the Korean FA Cup simultaneously in 2013.[24]
FC Seoul
On 21 June 2016, Hwang was appointed manager of another K League 1 club FC Seoul.[25] He successfully finished the rest of the 2016 season by bringing the K League 1 title. However, his discernment in the transfer market was not good and newcomers chosen by him showed poor performances. He was also in severe conflict with veteran players Dejan Damjanović, Osmar and Park Chu-young, failing to control them. Due to his poor results in subsequent seasons, he finally resigned on 30 April 2018.[26]
Yanbian Funde
On 14 December 2018, Hwang was appointed manager of Yanbian Funde. He left the club after Yanbian Funde were disqualified for the 2019 China League One due to their back taxes in February 2019.[27][28]
Daejeon Hana Citizen
K League 2 club Daejeon Citizen were reorganised under the name of Daejeon Hana Citizen by their new owners Hana Financial Group before the 2020 season, and chose Hwang as their first manager on the recommendation of Huh Jung-moo, their director and Hwang's former mentor. Hwang was criticised for his tactics by the board during the season and also came into conflict with Huh. As a result, he left Daejeon in the middle of the season.[29]
South Korea U23
Hwang was selected as manager of the South Korea under-23 team in September 2021, but worried a considerable number of Koreans due to his poor results at Seoul and Daejeon. He once again had difficulty bringing a successful outcome by being eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup after a 3–0 defeat to Japan.[30] Afterwards, he won all seven matches at the 2022 Asian Games, making a chance to rehabilitate himself.[31] He was also appointed interim manager of the senior national team on 27 February 2024.[32] However, his managerial career did not go into reverse, with South Korea failing to qualify for the Olympic football for the first time in 40 years since 1984. His team were eliminated in the U-23 Asian Cup quarter-finals once more after suffering a penalty shoot-out defeat to Indonesia.[33]
South Korea
In February 2024, Hwang was chosen as South Korea's caretaker manager, replacing Jürgen Klinsmann to prepare for two FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Thailand. Under his short-lived tenure, South Korea were held to a shock 1–1 draw at home, but gained a 3–0 away win.[34][35]
Return to Daejeon
On 5 June 2024, Hwang received one more opportunity from Daejeon Hana Citizen, who were promoted to the K League 1 after he left.[36] The continuation of his managerial career caused controversy, but he succeeded in helping them escape the relegation zone that year.[37] The next year, his team finished second at the league, qualifying for the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite.[38]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bayer Leverkusen II | 1991–92[2] | Oberliga Nordrhein | 24 | 16 | — | — | — | 24 | 16 | |||
| Wuppertaler SV | 1992–93 | 2. Bundesliga | 9 | 3 | ? | ? | — | — | 9 | 3 | ||
| Pohang Steelers | 1993 | K League | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1994 | K League | 14 | 5 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 5 | |||
| 1995 | K League | 24 | 11 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 26 | 11 | |||
| 1996 | K League | 13 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | ? | ? | 18 | 13 | |
| 1997 | K League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ? | ? | 2 | 0 | |
| 1998 | K League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ? | ? | 3 | 2 | |
| Total | 52 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 5 | ? | ? | 64 | 31 | ||
| Cerezo Osaka | 1998 | J1 League | 11 | 6 | ? | ? | 0 | 0 | — | 11 | 6 | |
| 1999 | J1 League | 25 | 24 | ? | ? | 2 | 3 | — | 27 | 27 | ||
| Total | 36 | 30 | ? | ? | 2 | 3 | — | 38 | 33 | |||
| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 2000 | K League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Kashiwa Reysol | 2000 | J1 League | 6 | 1 | ? | ? | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | |
| 2001 | J1 League | 21 | 10 | ? | ? | 4 | 0 | — | 25 | 10 | ||
| 2002 | J1 League | 7 | 1 | ? | ? | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | ||
| Total | 34 | 12 | ? | ? | 5 | 0 | — | 39 | 12 | |||
| Jeonnam Dragons | 2002 | K League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| Career total | 155 | 87 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 8 | ? | ? | 175 | 95 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | |||
| 1988 | 5 | 2 | |
| 1989 | 12 | 8 | |
| 1990 | 17 | 6 | |
| 1993 | 6 | 1 | |
| 1994 | 17 | 16 | |
| 1995 | 3 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 10 | 8 | |
| 1998 | 8 | 3 | |
| 1999 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2002 | 11 | 3 | |
| Career total | 103 | 50 | |
- Results list South Korea's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 December 1988 | Doha, Qatar | 1 |  Japan | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1988 AFC Asian Cup |
| 2 | 11 December 1988 | Doha, Qatar | 3 |  Iran | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1988 AFC Asian Cup |
| 3 | 23 May 1989 | Seoul, South Korea | 6 |  Singapore | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 5 | 27 May 1989 | Seoul, South Korea | 7 |  Malaysia | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 7 | 5 June 1989 | Singapore | 8 | Malaysia | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 14 August 1989 | Los Angeles, United States | 11 |  United States | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1989 Marlboro Cup |
| 9 | 16 October 1989 | Singapore | 14 |  North Korea | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 25 October 1989 | Singapore | 16 |  Saudi Arabia | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 4 February 1990 | Ta' Qali, Malta | 18 |  Norway | 1–0 | 2–3 | Friendly |
| 12 | 27 July 1990 | Beijing, China | 23 | Japan | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1990 Dynasty Cup |
| 13 | 25 September 1990 | Beijing, China | 29 |  Pakistan | 1–0 | 7–0 | 1990 Asian Games |
| 14 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 15 | 7–0 | ||||||
| 16 | 23 October 1990 | Seoul, South Korea | 34 | North Korea | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 17 | 28 October 1993 | Doha, Qatar | 40 |  North Korea | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 18 | 26 February 1994 | Los Angeles, United States | 42 |  Colombia | 2–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 19 | 4 May 1994 | Changwon, South Korea | 44 |  Cameroon | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 20 | 11 June 1994 | Duncanville, United States | 46 |  Honduras | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 21 | 27 June 1994 | Dallas, United States | 49 |  Germany | 1–3 | 2–3 | 1994 FIFA World Cup |
| 22 | 13 September 1994 | Seoul, South Korea | 51 |  Ukraine | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 23 | 1 October 1994 | Hiroshima, Japan | 53 |  Nepal |
2–0 | 11–0 | 1994 Asian Games |
| 24 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 25 | 4–0 | ||||||
| 26 | 6–0 | ||||||
| 27 | 7–0 | ||||||
| 28 | 9–0 | ||||||
| 29 | 10–0 | ||||||
| 30 | 11–0 | ||||||
| 31 | 5 October 1994 | Hiroshima, Japan | 54 |  Oman | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1994 Asian Games |
| 32 | 11 October 1994 | Hiroshima, Japan | 56 | Japan | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1994 Asian Games |
| 33 | 3–2 | ||||||
| 34 | 31 October 1995 | Seoul, South Korea | 60 | Saudi Arabia | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 35 | 19 March 1996 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 62 |  United Arab Emirates | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1996 Dubai Tournament |
| 36 | 30 April 1996 | Tel Aviv, Israel | 65 |  Israel | 4–0 | 5–4 | Friendly |
| 37 | 5–0 | ||||||
| 38 | 23 November 1996 | Suwon, South Korea | 66 | Colombia |
1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 39 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 40 | 4 December 1996 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | 68 | United Arab Emirates | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1996 AFC Asian Cup |
| 41 | 7 December 1996 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | 69 |  Indonesia | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1996 AFC Asian Cup |
| 42 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 43 | 1 April 1998 | Seoul, South Korea | 71 | Japan | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 44 | 22 April 1998 | Belgrade, FR Yugoslavia | 74 |  FR Yugoslavia | 1–0 | 1–3 | Friendly |
| 45 | 27 May 1998 | Seoul, South Korea | 77 |  Czech Republic | 1–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 46 | 1 June 2001 | Ulsan, South Korea | 88 |  Mexico | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| 47 | 3 June 2001 | Suwon, South Korea | 89 |  Australia | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| 48 | 20 March 2002 | Cartagena, Spain | 94 |  Finland | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 49 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 50 | 4 June 2002 | Busan, South Korea | 98 |  Poland | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup |
Managerial statistics
- As of match played 15 February 2025
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Busan IPark | 4 December 2007 | 5 November 2010 | 117 | 39 | 29 | 49 | 33.33 | |
| Pohang Steelers | 13 December 2010 | 29 November 2015 | 237 | 125 | 57 | 55 | 52.74 | |
| FC Seoul | 25 June 2016 | 29 April 2018 | 85 | 36 | 23 | 26 | 42.35 | |
| Daejeon Hana Citizen | 1 January 2020 | 8 September 2020 | 21 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 47.62 | |
| South Korea U23[a] | 15 September 2021 | 24 April 2024 | 30 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 76.67 | [40][41][42][43] |
| South Korea (caretaker) | 27 February 2024 | 30 April 2024 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00 | |
| Daejeon Hana Citizen | 3 June 2024 | Present | 24 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 41.67 | |
| Career total | 516 | 244 | 126 | 146 | 47.29 | |||
- Does not include matches at the 2024 WAFF U-23 Championship, which were played by Myung Jae-yong.
Honours
Player
Pohang Steelers
South Korea
- AFC Asian Cup runner-up: 1988[46]
- Asian Games bronze medal: 1990[47]
- Dynasty Cup: 1990[48]
Individual
- Korean FA Best XI: 1988[49]
- Asian Games top goalscorer: 1994[16]
- K League All-Star: 1995[50]
- K League 1 Best XI: 1995[51]
- J.League All-Star: 1999[52]
- J1 League top goalscorer: 1999[53]
- J1 League Best XI: 1999[53]
- FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Shoe: 2001[54]
- K League '90s All-Star Team: 2003[55]
- K League 30th Anniversary Best XI: 2013[56]
Manager
Busan IPark
- Korean FA Cup runner-up: 2010[44]
- Korean League Cup runner-up: 2009[44]
Pohang Steelers
FC Seoul
- K League 1: 2016[57]
- Korean FA Cup runner-up: 2016[44]
South Korea U23
Individual
See also
Notes
- Appearances as an overage player (two appearances in Summer Olympics, two appearances in friendlies, including one appearance against non-national team)
