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Son Heung-min named KFA Player of the Year for eighth time

Published: 31 Mar. 2025, 13:19 Updated: 31 Mar. 2025, 17:07

Korea's Son Heung-min prepares to take a corner during a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Jordan at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on March 25. [NEWS1]

The Korea Football Association (KFA) named Korean national team and Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min its 2024 Player of the Year on Monday.

The KFA said that Son had earned 109 points in combined voting by journalists and KFA technical experts. The final score was based on a 50-50 weighting of media and expert votes.

Son narrowly edged out last year’s winner, Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich, who received 104 points. Lee Jae-sung of Mainz came in third with 48 points.

This marks the eighth time Son has received the award, having previously won in 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. The annual award was established in 2010, and Son continues to hold the record for the most wins.

In 2024, Son scored 10 goals in international matches and served as captain of the national team. He also captains Tottenham in the Premier League.

Son has featured in all six third-round 2026 World Cup qualifiers under manager Hong Myung-bo since last September, scoring three goals to help Korea sit at the top of Group B.

Over at Tottenham, he ended the 2023-24 season with 17 goals and 10 assists across 36 appearances and has racked up 11 goals and 12 assists in 41 fixtures in the ongoing 2024-25 campaign.

QPR midfielder Yang Min-hyeok, meanwhile, was named Male Young Player of the Year. Yang scored 12 goals in the K League 1 last season before transferring to Tottenham.

Korea's Yang Min-hyeok shoots during a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Jordan at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on March 25. [YONHAP]

Currently on loan to QPR in the Championship, Yang scored his first European competition goal on March 30 against Stoke City. He also made his first senior cap during Korea’s World Cup qualifier against Jordan on March 25.

Ji So-yun of Seattle Reign was named Women’s Player of the Year. She received 62 points, narrowly beating out Kang Chae-rim of Suwon FC, who earned 61.

Ji, who helped lead Suwon to a WK League title in the 2024 season before moving to the United States, now holds the most wins in the women’s category at eight.

Kim Shin-ji, a 20-year-old forward for AS Roma, received the Women’s Young Player of the Year award.

The Coach of the Year award went to Yoon Jong-hwan, who led Gangwon FC to a runner-up finish in the K League 1 last year, the club’s highest result. Yoon now manages Incheon United.

In the women’s category, Park Yoon-jung was recognized for guiding the U-20 women’s national team to the round of 16 at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

The 2024 KFA Awards ceremony was originally scheduled to take place in mid-January alongside the association’s regular general assembly.

However, due to delays in the KFA presidential election and the start of the new season, the in-person event was canceled.

The KFA instead produced a video presentation hosted by commentator Han Joon-hee, announcer Jang Hyun-jung and caster Yoon Jang-hyun. The full awards presentation was released on Monday on the KFA’s official YouTube channel.

The delay in the announcement has drawn some criticism, with observers questioning why the year-end awards were not presented until the end of March despite the postponed election.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY PARK RIN [[email protected]]