Controversial South Korean midfielder given call up

Controversial South Korean midfielder given call up

Busan I'Park's Park Jong-Woo will be part of the squad for South Korea's World Cup qualifiers, despite being disciplined for an incident involving a political message he displayed

Aug 31, 2012 1:30:00 PM

 

By Simon Harrison

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Controversial South Korean under 23 international Park Jong-Woo is now part of the full squad after being deemed worthy by national manager Choi Kang-hee for his performances in the Olympics. But while he made the headlines for all of the wrong reasons during the Games, he will be hoping this time, it is his performances on the pitch which capture the public's attention as South Korea face Uzbekistan next month.

Park held up a placard which read "Dokdo is our territory" when visiting the region, which is controlled by South Korea but also claimed by Japan. His actions sparked new controversy on the islands, which lie equidistant between the two countries.He was disciplined for his actions by FIFA and shunned from any events which celebrated South Korea's first ever medal for football. This however, did not discourage Choi Kang-hee from selecting the player."I watched the games during the Olympics." Choi told reporters on Wednesday."When the Olympics were over, I spoke to coach Hong Myung-bo. The assessment is that he is good enough to play in the national team."Park is a tough midfielder and has a lot of movement. Defensively he's aggressive. We don't have a player like that in the national team." said the manager.The Busan player will hope to help lead his team to the 2014 World Cup, as the national side currently sit top of qualification Group A.