Q: In the last Asian Champions League, as the captain of POSCO, how did you lead the team to beat the strongest opponents consecutively and successfully reach the final?
A: I was vice-captain when I was at Pohang Steelers, and after the captain's injury, I wore the captain's armband all the way through the AFC Champions League. There were a lot of players older than me in the team who were my elders, and of course they recognized my ability and leadership. The team's success was partly due to the fact that we were united and partly due to the great leadership of the manager at the time. Unity is very important for the team and I still look back on it with great pride.
Q: Xie Feng, head coach of Beijing Guoan, has said that you are the first foreign aid he signed this year, what qualities do you think attracted his attention?
A: Maybe it's because I'm able to play multiple positions, including left and right wingbacks and midfielders. Also, I think the manager pays a lot of attention to how he feels about his players, maybe because I'm good looking, that's one reason haha.
Q: What have you been talking about the most with Head Coach Xie Feng lately?
A: I've just joined the team and the head coach wants me to take my time to get back into shape and gradually integrate into the team, not to rush things. He also reminded me to pay attention to my diet as there are many Chinese cuisines and try not to eat greasy food.
Q: Before you joined Beijing Guoan, what kind of communication did you have with Minya Kim?
A: Minjae Kim told me that he was very happy with his three years in Beijing, which is the capital city, and that he was on a team that was always a title contender and also played in the AFC Champions League. He said he was very happy to have spent three seasons at Guoan and also strongly recommended that I join Beijing Guoan, saying that I'm sure I'll make good memories here.
Q: On your first day on the team, the interpreter was Kim Tae-Yeon.
A: First of all, I very much recognize Kim Tae-Yeon's level of translation, but of course it's not as good as the current translator. I prefer the current interpreter, who has been helping me integrate into the Chinese team. Of course, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kim Tae-Yeon again.
Q: What was the first question you asked when you knew you were going to play for a Chinese team?
A: The first thing I inquired about was the differences between Chinese and Korean cultures because I learned that every country has a different history and culture and there are definitely some taboos. So I first asked my cousin what is the most important thing she can't do in China.
Q: How did you pass the boredom during your isolation?
A: First of all, I insisted on exercising every day during the quarantine period to maintain my physical condition as much as possible. Secondly, I watched some videos of Guoan's matches to understand the team's technical and tactical play. I've also been trying to learn Chinese, but I didn't learn it very well during the quarantine, so I'll have to keep learning in the future.
Q: What are your favorite Korean and Chinese foods?
A: Korean food is kimchi soup. After coming to China, I have tasted many cuisines, and now I am most impressed by Dongpo Pork and Peking Duck, which are really great flavors!
Q: What's the most interesting thing you've encountered since coming to China?
A: The funniest thing was when I went to the bank with my interpreter to apply for a bank card, the bank clerk mistook me for a Korean entertainment star and wanted to take a picture with me. Later, we all had a good laugh through the explanation. I would like to say that this is a story that really happened to me and I didn't make it up. I was very happy.
Q: Can you explain to us what the significance of your iconic celebration is?
A: It's a parody of a celebration by Dybala, who is also a very handsome player. I wanted to imitate it after seeing it for the first time. In Korea, the fans loved it when I did it and many of them would take pictures with me. I hope the Beijing fans will also like this move and I will use it to give back to the fans after scoring a goal.
