Young midfielder seeks to become 'next Ki Sung-yueng'

Ulsan Hyundai FC's midfielder Won Du-jae poses at the team's club house in Ulsan, April 7. / Courtesy of Ulsan Hyundai FC

By Jhoo Dong-chan

It is no wonder Ulsan Hyundai FC has been dominating South Korea's top-tier football league considering its formidable squad, but no one had ever expected Won Du-jae would be in the vanguard of the team's successful K League 1 campaign this season.

The South Korean U-23 international midfielder has been the focus of K League scouts' interest since he won the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship to secure South Korea's spot in the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games. He was also selected as the tournament's MVP.

Despite his outstanding performance with the U-23 international team earlier this year, not many experts believed he would be able to take a spot in the starting lineup of Ulsan's dominating team, citing his lack of experience and stiff competition with his teammates for the position.

Won, however, has successfully boasted his presence in the team's defensive midfielder position in 14 games so far this season. In the meantime, Ulsan won 13 games while suffering only one loss with three draws in 17 games to date.

“It is difficult for defensive midfielders to show off their skills since they have to cover the entire pitch, but Won has shown a different level of skill to prove himself as an irreplaceable asset for Ulsan,” football commentator Han Joon-hee said.

“He is also physically very large and versatile. He will make it big one day.”

Won said his job is to protect the defense line while supporting the team's talented attacking midfielders such as Lee Chung-yong and Yoon Bitgaram.

“I am always ready to do whatever it takes for the team to win,” he said. “Midfielders face pressure from every direction during the game. I am also good at passing the ball to the front. I think I can improve by playing more games.”

Some experts compare Won to former South Korean international captain Ki Sung-yueng because of their similarity in size and style, but Won said he still needs to improve.

“It is an honor to hear such things, but I need to work harder to improve myself,” Won said.

Born in Nov. 18, 1997, Won is 187 centimeters tall. He joined the J2 League club Avispa Fukuoka in 2017 to start his professional football career. After the end of the 2019 season, he joined Ulsan Hyundai.