Striker Ahn Byeong-jun (32) cheers on the new life of senior Jeong Tae-se (38), who went through the North Korean national team and Suwon Samsung first.
Ahn Byung-jun was born on May 22, 1990 in Tokyo, Japan. A third-generation Korean-Japanese, he settled with his grandparents when they moved to Japan during the Japanese occupation.
Born and raised in Japan, Ahn Byeong-jun holds a North Korean passport, but is classified as a domestic player under K-League rules. He is, of course, not subject to the Asian quota.
In 2020, in the Korea Football 메이저놀이터 Association’s ‘Player of the Year’ vote, he ranked third after Son Heung-min and Son Jun-ho, causing controversy.
Ahn Byung-jun began his professional career in 2013 when he joined J-League 1 Kawasaki Frontale after entering Chuo University in 2009.
However, when choosing his national team, he chose North Korea, and on May 26, 2011, he made his debut for the North Korean national team in an A-match away match against Iraq. Since then, he has not been selected for the North Korean national team since the East Asian Cup held in Japan in 2017.
Cases similar to Ahn Byung-jun’s were mainly related to Suwon Samsung. Ahn Young-hak, who was active in the North Korean national team as a member of Suwon Samsung, and Jeong Tae-se also played in Suwon for two years from 2013 to 2015.
Ahn Byung-jun, who is continuing the legacy of a K-league from the North Korean national team, met Jong Tae-se while on vacation in Japan after the 2022 season.
Jong Tae-se recently finished his playing career. His last team, Machida Zelvia, announced on its official website on October 28 last year that Jong Tae-se would retire from his active career at the end of the 2022 season.
Through the club, Jeong Tae-se said, “I have gained so much from soccer and my heart is now satisfied. I couldn’t imagine the amazing soccer life of 17 years. The whistle blows at the end of the game and it is finished. I feel proud and take off my soccer boots. I was sensitive and emotional like an idiot without being selfish. Thank you,” he said, ending his career as a player.
At the same time, through his retirement press conference, Jeong Tae-se cited his entertainment activities as his post-retirement plan.
He said, “I plan to do entertainment activities in Korea.” He also expressed his ambition.
Jeong Dae-se has previously appeared as a guest on SBS ‘Running Man’ and ‘Healing Camp’ in 2012, and in 2021, he also appeared with his wife Myeong Seo-hyun on the SBS program ‘Same Bed, Different Dreams, You Are My Destiny’ to reveal their married life. . Her wife, Myung Seohyun, is also currently active in SBS ‘Goal Hitters’.
In an interview before training in Jeju on the 27th, Ahn Byung-jun said, “During this vacation, we had a meal together in Japan and had a good talk,” and heard that he was doing entertainment activities in Korea.
When Ahn Byeong-joon was active in the K-League, Jeong Tae-se appeared in ‘Same Bed, Different Dreams’, so when asked if he watched it, he said, “I didn’t watch the main broadcast,” he said, “I think I watched it intermittently with short videos instead.”
At the same time, he cheered for the senior’s future, saying, “Originally, he is a fun player even in private. His career as a player is unique and he is a great senior who creates his own story. I hope his life goes well after retirement.”