Gwangju’s midfield maestro set to make the MLS leap: Who is Jung Ho-yeon?

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Gwangju’s midfield maestro set to make the MLS leap: Who is Jung Ho-yeon?

Gwangju FC midfielder Jung Ho-yeon, front, dribbles the ball during the AFC Champions League Elite match against Yokohama F. Marinos at Gwangju World Cup Stadium in Gwangju on Sept. 17, 2024. [YONHAP]

Gwangju FC midfielder Jung Ho-yeon, front, dribbles the ball during the AFC Champions League Elite match against Yokohama F. Marinos at Gwangju World Cup Stadium in Gwangju on Sept. 17, 2024. [YONHAP]

 
Gwangju FC midfielder Jung Ho-yeon looks set to join fellow countryman Jeong Sang-bin at MLS team Minnesota United, with Korean media reporting that he will finalize a deal after returning to Korea from Gwangju’s overseas training in Thailand. 
 

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The reports follow Jung’s successful stint at Gwangju, where he has become a standout player over the past three seasons, even challenging K League favorites like Ulsan HD.
 
This is not the first time Jung has been linked to an overseas club. In January last year, Scottish giants Celtic reportedly attempted to sign him, though the deal ultimately did not materialize.
 
A transfer to Minnesota would mark Jung’s first time playing overseas.
 
So who is Jung and what kind of career has he had in the K League? 
 
 
Three seasons at Gwangju  
 
Jung quickly secured his place in Gwangju’s best XI, taking only one season to establish himself. After making his professional debut at Gwangju while it was still a K League 2 side against Gimpo FC on Feb. 19, 2022, he went on to feature as a regular starter throughout the 2022 season.
 
As a player who acts as a link between the defense and offense with excellent ball control, he contributed to Gwangju’s K League 2 title-winning campaign, which secured promotion to K League 1 for the 2023 campaign. 
 
By the end of the 2022 season, Jung had made 36 league appearances, scoring one goal and providing four assists.
 
In the 2023 season, Jung continued to impress in the K League 1, providing an assist in his first appearance on Feb. 25, 2023, against the Suwon Samsung Bluewings, and building on that momentum throughout the season. He scored two goals against Daejeon Hana Citizen in separate league games, while also recording two assists, finishing the season with two goals and three assists. Jung also won the K League 1 Young Player of the Year award.
 
Gwangju had a strong season in 2023, finishing third and securing a spot in the 2024-25 AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE), giving Jung a chance to experience a different style of football.
 
In the 2024 K League 1 season, Jung maintained his role as a key part of the Gwangju midfield, playing 36 games and racking up five assists. Despite a relatively disappointing ninth-place finish for the team, Jung continued to shine individually.  
 
Gwangju FC midfielder Jung Ho-yeon, left, vies for the ball with FC Seoul midfielder Jesse Lingard during the K League 1 match at Gwangju Football Stadium in Gwangju on March 2, 2024. [YONHAP]

Gwangju FC midfielder Jung Ho-yeon, left, vies for the ball with FC Seoul midfielder Jesse Lingard during the K League 1 match at Gwangju Football Stadium in Gwangju on March 2, 2024. [YONHAP]

 
He also demonstrated his abilities in the ACLE, playing in all six group-stage matches in the first half of the 2024-25 competition, providing two assists in a 2-0 win over Yokohama F. Marinos on Sept. 17, 2024.
  
 
National team career  
 
Jung’s performances at Gwangju earned him a call-up to the Korean U-23 national team, where he made his debut on June 15, 2023, in a friendly against China. He also went on to feature in the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, where he helped secure a gold medal, earning an exemption from mandatory military service.
 
Korea's Jung Ho-yeon, right, dribbles the ball during the Hangzhou Asian Games semifinal match against Uzbekistan at HSC Stadium in Hangzhou, China on Oct. 4, 2023. [YONHAP]

Korea's Jung Ho-yeon, right, dribbles the ball during the Hangzhou Asian Games semifinal match against Uzbekistan at HSC Stadium in Hangzhou, China on Oct. 4, 2023. [YONHAP]

 
Korean athletes can earn military service exemption by winning a gold medal at the Asiad.


Jung earned his first senior cap on March 26, 2023, in a World Cup qualifier against Thailand, but has not featured in any senior national team matches since then.  
  
 
Playing style
 
Jung plays as a box-to-box midfielder, known for covering large distances and making precise passes. He counters pressure effectively and can aggressively drive forward, while also making defensive contributions when necessary.
 
His versatility allows him to recover the ball well and demonstrate good positioning. He consistently finds space to receive the ball and help build attacks, playing an important role in transitions from defense to offense. His passing accuracy is solid, though he doesn’t frequently play long through balls.  
 
 
What does Jung’s transfer entail?  
 
Jung’s departure this month would leave Gwangju searching for an ideal replacement before the 2025 K League 1 season begins on Feb. 15. Should he leave soon, Gwangju will also have to compete in their remaining ACLE group-stage matches without him. 
 
If the deal is finalized, Jung will become the seventh Korean to join the MLS. While some players like Hong Myung-bo and Lee Yong-pyo played in the MLS at the end of their careers, others like former Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Hwang In-beom, who now plays for Dutch club Feyenoord, spent their time in North America as a bridge to greener pastures.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]
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