By Mark Baber
January 9 – North Korean striker Jong Tae-Se (pictured) is moving from 1. FC Köln to South Korean K-League club Suwon Samsung Bluewings. He has reportedly signed a contract worth 400 million won and the Koreans have paid 1. FC Köln €300,000.
Jong is the most famous North Korean international to play in South Korea, so his transfer goes beyond purely sporting significance, but Jong says, “I’m only concentrating on football.”
Jong has scored 15 goals in 28 matches for the DPRK national team and told South Korean news agency Yonyap, “Playing in South Korea means as much to me as a representative of North Korea,” said Yonhap News Agency
“While I’m here, I’d be happy to serve as Ambassador between the South and the North.”
“My goal is to win the Championship … I never won a title as a player and I would love to win one with Suwon.”
Jong was born in Japan to Korean parents and is one of the large group of Zainichi Chongryon who reside in Japan but have close ties to the North Korean government. Jong follows in the footsteps of An Yong-Hak who also played at Suwon. Indeed, Jong said of his fellow Zainichi Chongryon and North Korean international,
“It’s been An Yong-Hak who advised me to come and play at Suwon.”
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