As Japan nears 10 Premier League footballers, Korea faces the prospect of none
Two decades after Park Ji-sung kicked open the door to the English league, the gulf between the Korean and Japanese development systems is rearing its head.
Japan's footballers Ayase Ueda, left, and Daichi Kamada celebrate after Ueda scores their second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F match between Tunisia and Japan in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, on June 20.AP/YONHAP
When Park Ji-sung pulled on a Manchester United shirt in 2005, he kicked open the Premier League door for Korean football. Twenty-one years later, Korea risks being left on the other side of it, while Japan could head into the new season with as many as 10 players in what is widely regarded as the world’s top league.
The contrast is stark. Japan had just four Premier League players last season — Kaoru Mitoma at Brighton & Hove Albion, Wataru Endo at Liverpool, Daichi Kamada at Crystal Palace and Ao Tanaka at Leeds United. In the space of a year, that contingent has doubled.
Tatsuhiro Sakamoto helped Coventry City secure a promotion to the Premier League in April, while Daizen Maeda and Hidemasa Morita moved to newly promoted Ipswich Town and Hull City, respectively. Takehiro Tomiyasu joined Crystal Palace on Friday.
And Japan may not be finished yet. Kaishu Sano has attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, while Ayase Ueda is being courted by Everton and Ipswich.
Korea, meanwhile, is staring at the opposite possibility: not a single Korean player in the Premier League.
Son Heung-min left Tottenham for Los Angeles FC last year, while Hwang Hee-chan’s Wolverhampton Wanderers were relegated to the Championship. Prospects Yang Min-hyeok of Tottenham, Kim Ji-soo of Brentford and Yoon Do-young of Brighton have either yet to make their first-team league debuts or have been sent out on loan.
The widening gap is about more than individual talent. A prevailing view points to differences in how the two countries approach football, from players’ career choices to the systems that support their moves abroad.
Kamada recently revealed that he turned down a lucrative offer from a Saudi Arabian club after strong opposition from his parents.
Daichi Kamada, the central midfielder for the Japanese men's national football team, celebrates scoring their first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026's Group F match between Tunisia and Japan in Monterrey Stadium, Monterrey, Mexico, on June 20.REUTERS/YONHAP
“I chose the challenge over the money because my parents strongly opposed it,” he said.
Korean players, by comparison, have more frequently gone to the Middle East, China and the United States, where clubs can offer greater financial rewards and a more stable lifestyle.
Japan’s J.League also offers a different environment. Clubs actively encourage players to test themselves in Europe and give them a place to return if the move does not work out.
Korean football veterans who once took that leap themselves have sounded the alarm.
“There are more than 100 Japanese players in Europe,” Park said. “More [Korean] players need to keep taking on the challenge.”
Former Premier League midfielder Ki Sung-yueng also expressed concern over the growing gap.
“The difference in competitiveness with Japanese players, who have added physicality and tenacity to solid fundamentals, is getting wider,” Ki said.
Park Ji-sung, former captain of the Korean men's national football team and co-chair of the Korean football innovation committee, speaks during the second meeting of the committee on July 13.YONHAP
The disparity extends beyond individual players to the football infrastructure behind them.
The Japan Football Association operates a base in Düsseldorf, Germany, where it provides extensive support for Japanese players trying to establish themselves in Europe. The Korea Football Association, despite pledging to “actively benchmark” Japan’s system, has yet to follow through.
Japan has also developed a step-by-step route into Europe. Its strategy includes establishing footholds at clubs in leagues such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal, where players can gain experience before attempting to break into Europe’s biggest leagues.
Two Korean players are now taking a similar route. Oh Hyeon-gyu of Besiktas and Lee Han-beom of Club Brugge are building experience and confidence in Turkey and Belgium, respectively. For both, those leagues could provide a springboard to the Premier League — and perhaps keep the door Park opened more than two decades ago from closing altogether.
BY PARK LIN [lee.jiwon10@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
