Midfielder Kim Jin-gyu is prepared to 'fight in the mud' at the World Cup
Published: 15 May. 2026, 05:00
Midfielder Kim Jin-gyu of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors poses for an interview at the team’s clubhouse in Wanju, North Jeolla, on May 8. [JANG JEONG-PIL]
WANJU, North Jeolla — Kim Jin-gyu has long been regarded as one of the most elegant midfielders in Korean football — a player whose deft touch and graceful turns can make even the ordinary look theatrical.
The 29-year-old midfielder for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors is known for his technical range, from the Marseille turn — stopping the ball on one foot before spinning past defenders — to the delicate one-touch through pass he threaded to Son Heung-min in a friendly against the United States last September, which prompted even national team manager Hong Myung-bo to raise his thumb in approval.
But ahead of the final announcement of the Korean national squad for the 2026 World Cup on May 16, Kim says he is prepared to set elegance aside and fight in the mud if necessary.
One of the sharpest criticisms directed at the Korean national team in recent months has been that it plays “gentlemen’s football” — technically tidy and disciplined, but too polite and passive to survive on the bruising global stage.
Kim acknowledged that criticism without hesitation in an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at Jeonbuk’s clubhouse in Wanju, North Jeolla, on May 8.
“From an objective standpoint, there are no weaker teams than us at the World Cup,” Kim said. “Son keeps telling us that every player has to push until the opponent gets irritated, while Kim Min-jae emphasizes that we have to fight as dirty and ugly as possible. So I’m getting ready to fight in the mud.”
His comments echoed remarks from Kim Min-jae, the Bayern Munich defender who has repeatedly called on Korean players to become tougher, reflecting a growing sense within the national team that technical ability alone will not be enough.
Kim Jin-gyu, third from left, reacts after missing a scoring chance during a friendly match between Korea and Austria at Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna on March 31. [YONHAP]
Kim Jin-gyu has already begun changing how he plays.
During a friendly against Austria last month — a 1-0 defeat in which he played 60 minutes — Kim recorded a high-intensity running figure of 700 meters, roughly 2300 feet, measuring distance covered at speeds above 19.8 kilometers per hour (12.3 miles per hour). The number far exceeds league averages even for players completing full matches.
He is also currently managing pain in his right ankle, taking painkillers to stay on the field.
Off the pitch, Kim is soft-spoken to the point that his wife sometimes teases him for talking too quietly. On the field, however, he transforms into something closer to a battlefield commander, barking instructions to teammates in a thick Pohang dialect.
“The quietest guy becomes the loudest on the pitch,” one club spokesperson observed.
Kim’s avowed transformation comes at a crucial time for the Taeguk Warriors.
Korea’s midfield has been depleted by injuries ahead of the World Cup. Park Yong-woo and Won Du-jae have already dropped out of consideration for the national squad, while key playmaker Hwang In-beom has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury in March.
If Hwang’s recovery stalls, Kim — who has started three of Korea’s last four internationals — could find himself carrying much of the burden in midfield.
Yet he appears unfazed by being viewed as Hwang’s potential replacement.
“I prefer to think of this as a moment that may never come again,” Kim said. “Even if I’m not the standout player, I want to receive the ball often in midfield and help the team move forward smoothly by making good decisions every moment.”
Kim Jin-gyu, center, passes the ball during Korea’s match against China in the men’s division of the 2025 EAFF E-1 Championship at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Gyeonggi on July 7, 2025. [YONHAP]
Kim repeatedly studies videos of Pedri, the Barcelona midfielder widely admired for combining dribbling, stamina, passing and tempo control.
He has also closely watched matches played in Mexico, where Korea will face the added challenge of playing its first matches in Guadalajara, which sits at an altitude of 1,571 meters (5,154 feet) above sea level — an elevation that can reduce oxygen saturation and strain players’ endurance.
Kim paid particular attention to an away match played by Son’s club, Los Angeles FC, in Toluca, Mexico, located some 2,670 meters above sea level. In thinner air, Toluca players repeatedly exploited the way the ball traveled differently, firing 31 shots — including 18 from distance — in a four-goal performance.
Kim said he already understands the sensation from altitude training camps in Kunming, China. National team coach Kim Jin-gyu, who shares his name, also advised him to “strike long-range shots softly” at altitude.
Kim has experience punching above expectations.
Last year, while playing for Team K League, he scored the winner in a friendly against Newcastle United F.C.
“That game made me realize that if we prepare tactically in detail, we can beat world-class opponents too,” Kim said.
The midfielder also knows disappointment. He failed to make Korea’s final squad for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, a setback that lingered.
But last June, he scored his first international goal in 1,238 days against Iraq — helping secure Korea’s 11th consecutive World Cup berth and reminding national team staff why he remained indispensable.
Now, one of Korean football’s most graceful players says he is preparing to become something else entirely.
After scoring, Kim often celebrates by making the letter “L” with his fingers — the initial of his wife’s name.
At the World Cup, he hopes he will have reason to do it again.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK RIN [
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