Korean linesman makes World Cup debut

By Yi Whan-woo

Korea Times intern

A South Korean man, who was discouraged previously as a football player, finally made his longing for the sport come true by making his World Cup debut as a game official on Friday.

Jeong Hae-sang, the only Korean linesman to oversee the 2010 World Cup matches, crisscrossed the field along with players in the match between Uruguay and France.

"I'm so overflowing with joy _ more than words can express," Jeong, 39, said. "Being selected as a game official is such an enduring process. It would have not been possible without help from heaven.

"This only could become possible with support from my loved ones, especially from my father in heaven," Jeong said of his feelings when he received the notification from FIFA in February.

Jeong, who was named the best referee by the Korea Football Association in 2009, has never been so nervous before a match, in spite of FIFA's strict filtering standards that limits any official from appearing in other matches after making a mistake.

"I'm not the kind who gets worried in big matches," Jeong said.

He added the importance of keeping calm citing the past example of Kim Young-joo, a Korean referee who sent a Turkish player off the field after being deceived by a Brazilian player's simulated action during the 2002 World Cup. Jeong reckoned the mistake happened due to extreme nervousness.

While Jeong tries to keep his cool in games, the trickiest thing comes at moments when it is unclear when to call an offside. He said he would not raise the flag if it's considered ambiguous.

"I tend to let the game continue if a situation is not clear," Jeong said.

However, asked how he would act when he has discrepancy with the referee, the Korean official said it is right to concur with the referee, who is given the final authority.

Jeong's participation in the World Cup is confined to matches not involving South Korea, North Korea, and Japan, as well as matches in their groups, in an effort to avoid any possibility of wrongdoing.

The Korean line referee oversaw the Uruguay-France match with two Japanese officials including the head referee Yuichi Nishimura. The three communicated in English, a prerequisite for the qualification.

"English is a must to become a FIFA referee as well as physical fitness to endure the full 90 minutes," he explained.

What Jeong has been doing up to date shows how demanding the process could be to be chosen by FIFA.

"Since acquiring the first-level referee license in 1998, I have never spent a day without working out. I also studied English extensively for efficient communication in international matches," He said.

Standing only 1.7-meter tall, Jeong still believes he is physically fit for a referee. But his other limitation, age, is likely to keep him from doing so.

"The 2002 World Cup saw somewhat violent play including dangerous tackles. From then on, FIFA tended to favor referees with a taller and bigger physique, giving them priority over smaller ones," Jeong said.

"As I will be 35 in 2014, exceeding FIFA's age limitation, I don't think I'll have a chance to serve as a head referee in the next World Cup."

Jeong started his career as a football player in middle school, in spite of strong opposition from his family as he had good academic grades. He played as a prospective midfielder until college, where he became deeply exasperated with life as a footballer.

"I wasn't satisfied with the college I went to. That led to serious discord with my football manager, and that's also when I quit my competitive career in the sport," Jeong said.

He kept his connection with football as an amateur player, and in 1996, grabbed his second chance to unfold his longing by getting recommended to apply for a referee.

In the same year, Jeong acquired a third-level refereeing license and passed the first level just two years later. He continued to work on developing himself as he made his first international debut in 2005 in a friendly between Japan and Honduras.

His spirit of fair play began to pay off as he was recognized by the world's football governing body and oversaw the 2007 U-17 World Cup final, as well as the third-place match of the U-20 World Cup last year.

"I'll do my job at this World Cup with the belief that I'm representing Korean referees," Jeong said.