All Eyes on Jong Tae-Se

This Sunday at Suwon World Cup Stadium 44,000 fans will watch the biggest clash in South Korean football, between the Suwon Samsung Bluewings and FC Seoul.
Fans will also see North Korean star striker Jong Tae-Se try to cement his status as the new hero of Suwon.
Pyongyang may not exactly be flavor of the month south of the 38th Parallel, but Suwon fans will leave politics aside if Jong scores the winning goal in the “Super Match.”
Jong, nicknamed “The People’s Rooney” after the similarly combative Manchester United and England attacker Wayne Rooney, joined the Bluewings in January from FC Koln in Germany. His performances this season have already won the hearts of Suwon fans.
Jong was well known in South Korea long before joining Suwon and long before he shot to global fame at the 2010 World Cup. In South Africa, he burst into tears as the North Korean anthem was played before the team’s opening game against Brazil.
Jong was born and raised in Japan to Korean parents, one from each side of the divide, and regards himself as North Korean. Like a number of Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) players, he made his professional debut in the J-League. He first became known in South Korea during his stint playing for Kawasaki Frontale. He visited the country in the Asian Champions League in 2007.
Understandably, Jong, as media-savvy as they come, has not given his opinion about the current crisis on the Korean peninsula. Even if he wanted to, it would not be a wise thing to do. In the past, when asked about relations between North and South, his gave an answer along the lines of hoping that football can bring the two together.
And he is living proof that it can, at least to a small extent. Suwon fans see a player willing to give their all for the team. In the build-up to the game on Sunday, he said he will be doing everything he can to help his team vanquish their rivals.
He mentioned especially looking forward to competing against World Cup star and FC Seoul member Cha Du-ri. “It will be really good to be able to play in this rival match,” Jong said. “I will shake hands with Cha as a goal celebration after I score.”

diplomat

Jong Tae-Se scores again for Bochum today

Great debut for Jong Tae-Se !

Jong Tae-Se scored in his debut for Bochum in a friendly against Duisburg. The match ended 1-1

Bochum website

North Korea can beat Brazil, says 'Asian Rooney'

By John Weaver (AFP) – 19 hours ago

TEMBISA, South Africa — North Korea's best-known player Jong Tae-Se said Tuesday he hopes the team can change the image of the isolated nation and believes they could topple mighty Brazil.

Jong, who plays in Japan's J-League and is known as Asia's Wayne Rooney, spoke to reporters before North Korea's first open training session at Makhulong stadium outside Johannesburg.

"We want to change the North Korean image," he said, adding that the major strength of the 105th-ranked "Chollima" was their powerful team spirit.

"Our core mentality is like Germany, Germany's spirit," he said.

"We're brave. We can win against Brazil. Everybody thinks about that game is we can't win but we have a brave heart and brave spirits."

North Korea, better known for its nuclear weapons programme and dubious rights record, were drawn in the same group as Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal.

Jong admitted he was "very surprised" by the draw but said he is happy to pit his wits against football's big guns, starting with five-times World Cup winners Brazil in their Group G clash on June 15.

And he said he had picked up tips on the legendary South American giants from Brazilian team-mates at Kawasaki Frontale.

Jong holds South Korean nationality like his parents, descendants of immigrants from colonial Korea. But he has managed to obtain a North Korean passport after growing up at patriotic pro-Pyongyang schools in Japan.

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