Ulsan's Kim Young-gwon wins K League 1 MVP

Football

Published: 05 Dec. 2023, 11:29 Updated: 05 Dec. 2023, 12:32

Ulsan's Kim Young-gwon wins K League 1 MVP

Ulsan Hyundai defender Kim Young-gwon poses with the 2023 K League MVP award at the K League Awards ceremony held at Lotte Hotel World in southern Seoul on Monday. [YONHAP]

Ulsan Hyundai defender Kim Young-gwon was named MVP of the 2023 K League 1 on Monday. He also earned a spot on the season’s best XI alongside four of his teammates after the club successfully defended its league title this year.

Kim received the prestigious award with 44.13 points, edging out Zeca of the Pohang Steelers with 41.76.

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It was the Ulsan defender's first time winning the MVP award but the second year in a row that an Ulsan player was chosen as the league's most valuable player. Midfielder Lee Chung-yong won the award last year after leading Ulsan to their first league title since 2005.

Kim was one of the key players in Ulsan’s league title defense. The 33-year-old center-back played 32 league matches, during which he played a central role in build-up and defense.

Ulsan manager Hong Myung-bo, who won the K League Manager of the Year Award for the second consecutive time on Monday, said that Kim’s build-up is the “best by any defender in the country.”

Clockwise from top left: Ulsan Hyundai goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo, Incheon United midfielder Gerson Fernandes, Ulsan defender Seol Young-woo, Ulsan forward Joo Min-kyu, Pohang Steelers defender Alex Grant, Steelers forward Zeca, Steelers forward Baek Sung-dong, Gwangju FC midfielder Lee Soon-min, Ulsan manager Hong Myung-bo, Ulsan defender Kim Young-gwon, Ulsan midfielder Um Won-sang and Gwangju midfielder Jeong Ho-yeon pose with their awards at the K League Awards ceremony held at Lotte Hotel World in southern Seoul on Monday. [YONHAP]

Fellow Ulsan defender Seol Young-woo joined Kim in the best XI. The agile fullback displayed an impressive performance throughout the season, playing 32 league fixtures and recording three goals and four assists.

The two other defenders that made into the best XI were Wanderson and Alex Grant of the Steelers, who led the club to a runner-up finish in the league and Korean FA Cup title.

The duo allowed the Pohang side to concede the second fewest amount of goals at 40 this season, behind Gwangju FC and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors with 35 apiece.

Over in goal, Ulsan goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo was picked as the best goalkeeper. Jo played in 36 league matches and conceded 38 goals, managing the most amount of clean sheets at 13.

This year is the seventh time Jo has been picked as the best K League goalkeeper, having won it every year since 2017.

Jo has consistently displayed a convincing performance in the K League over the years, although he has not played as a regular pick for the national team since the 2018 World Cup, where he contributed to Korea’s remarkable 2-0 win against Germany.

In the midfield, Um Won-sang of Ulsan, Gerson Fernandes of Incheon United, Oberdan of the Steelers and Lee Soon-min of Gwangju were chosen as the best four.

Up front, forwards Joo Min-kyu of Ulsan and Zeca of the Steelers made it into the best XI. Joo was the top scorer of the season with 17 goals, and Zeca scored the third-most amount of goals, at 12.

Gwangju midfielder Jeong Ho-yeon won the K League Young Player of the Year — given to the best player among under-23 K League players — after managing a third-place finish in the league with the team despite being promoted to the K League 1 just this year.

The regular K League 1 season ended on Dec. 3, but the two-game series promotion-relegation playoffs that determine the fate of K League 1 and 2 teams will take place this week.

K League 2 side Busan IPark will play K League 1 team Suwon FC on Wednesday in Busan, the same time K League 2 team Gimpo FC take on K League 1 team Gangwon FC in Gimpo, Gyeonggi.

The second games of the series will then kick off on Saturday.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]