Kim Byung-soo appointed as new Suwon Samsung Bluewings manager

Kim Byung-soo poses with a Suwon Samsung Bluewings ball in a photo released by the club on Thursday. [YONHAP]

Kim Byung-soo has been appointed as the new manager of the last-place Suwon Samsung Bluewings, the club announced Thursday, filling the vacant role nearly three weeks after former manager Lee Byung-geun was fired.

The winless Bluewings announced Thursday that Kim, the former manager of Gangwon FC, is under contract through December 2024, putting him in the role for the remainder of the 2023 K League 1 season and the entirety of the 2024 campaign.

Kim, a former midfielder who was capped for Korea in the late 1980s, has previously coached Seoul E-Land and Yeungnam University, where he worked for eight years. He is known for encouraging an aggressive offensive approach, nicknamed "Byung-soo Ball."

"I thought long and hard about this opportunity," Kim said. "This will be a huge challenge for me. It is a difficult situation, but I think we can be a good team again if the players and supporters come together."

Kim will take the helm at the Bluewings, who currently have two draws and eight losses on the season, on Saturday, after the club's Friday game against Incheon United. His first game in charge will be against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on May 10.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]