kids encyclopedia robot

Ahn Jung-hwan facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Ahn Jung-hwan
Ahn Jung-Hwan in 2009.JPG
Ahn with Dalian Shide in 2009
Personal information
Date of birth (1976-01-27) 27 January 1976 (age 48)
Place of birth Paju, Gyeonggi, South Korea
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position Attacking midfielder, striker
Youth career
?–1990 Namseoul Middle School
1991–1993 Seoul Technical High School [ko]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2002 Busan Daewoo Royals 54 (27)
2000–2002 Perugia (loan) 30 (5)
2002–2003 Shimizu S-Pulse 38 (14)
2004–2005 Yokohama F. Marinos 34 (16)
2005–2006 Metz 16 (2)
2006 MSV Duisburg 12 (2)
2007 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 15 (0)
2008 Busan IPark 19 (4)
2009–2011 Dalian Shide 65 (18)
Total 283 (88)
National team
1994 South Korea U20 4 (2)
1997 South Korea B
1997–2010 South Korea 71 (17)
Honours
Representing  South Korea
Men's football
Summer Universiade
Silver 1997 Sicily
EAFF Championship
Gold 2003 Japan
East Asian Games
Gold 1997 Busan
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
Ahn Jung-hwan
Hangul 안정환
Hanja 安貞桓
Revised Romanization An Jeonghwan
McCune–Reischauer An Chŏnghwan

Ahn Jung-hwan (Hangul: 안정환; RR: An Jeong-hwan, Korean pronunciation: [ɐnd͡ʑʌŋɦwɐn] or [ɐn] [t͡ɕʌŋɦwɐn]; born 27 January 1976) is a South Korean television personality and former professional footballer. A versatile forward known for his technical skills and clutch goalscoring, Ahn represented South Korea at three FIFA World Cups, notably scoring a golden goal against Italy in 2002. Following his retirement, Ahn transitioned into a successful career in broadcasting, becoming a popular football commentator and television host. He is also recognised for his philanthropic endeavors.

Early life

Ahn Jung-hwan was raised in poverty by his grandmother after his father passed away, leaving his mother unable to care for him. Despite his grandmother's initial concerns, Ahn joined his elementary school's football team, drawn to the bread and milk they provided. He quickly discovered his talent for the sport and began to excel.

University career

Ahn's exceptional skills in high school attracted numerous offers from universities, including prestigious institutions like Yonsei University and Korea University. However, Ahn ultimately chose Ajou University due to their enticing offer, which included a substantial signing bonus and a guaranteed draft pick by the professional team Busan Daewoo Royals (later Busan IPark) upon graduation. Additionally, Ajou University agreed to Ahn's condition of accepting his entire high school team, solidifying his decision.

Ahn's presence at Ajou University ushered in a golden era for the team. A legendary moment occurred during the 1997 Autumn University Football League final against Hongik University. Ahn, returning from Italy after participating in the Summer Universiade, arrived directly from the airport at the match during the second half with Ajou University trailing 2-1. Despite his exhaustion from the long flight, Ahn scored two goals and provided an assist, leading Ajou University to a dramatic victory. His consistently outstanding performance throughout his university years, including his contribution to Ajou University's championship victory, led to his signing with the Busan Daewoo Royals, where he quickly rose to prominence, becoming one of the K League Best XI in his debut year and winning the Most Valuable Player award in 1999.

Club career

Busan Daewoo Royals

In 1998, Ahn started his professional career at K League club Busan Daewoo Royals. He was selected as one of the K League Best XI that year after showing great performance as soon as he went there. The next year, in 1999, he was named the K League Most Valuable Player by leading his team to finish as runners-up in the K League.

Loan to Perugia

In 2000, Ahn joined Perugia on loan, becoming the first South Korean footballer to play in Italy's Serie A. Despite facing challenges integrating into the team due to racist remarks from teammate Marco Materazzi and limited playing time, Ahn made 30 appearances including 13 starts and scored five goals over two seasons.

His time at Perugia was marked by his performance at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where he scored a crucial golden goal against Italy, leading to their elimination. The following day, Perugia's owner Luciano Gaucci controversially terminated Ahn's contract, citing his goal as the reason and making xenophobic remarks about Ahn and the Korean nation. This decision was widely condemned as discriminatory and sparked a global outcry.

Gaucci later retracted his decision and approved an option to sign Ahn on a permanent basis, but Ahn had a legal dispute with the club after refusing it. After FIFA intervened, Ahn was required to pay Perugia a compensation fee, which he did with the help of a Japanese entertainment company. This incident led to Ahn spending the next three years playing in the J1 League instead of big leagues in Europe.

Shimizu S-Pulse

In 2002, following a legal dispute with Perugia, Ahn joined Shimizu S-Pulse in the J1 League. Despite the circumstances surrounding his transfer, he quickly adapted to Japanese football, scoring 7 goals in 16 appearances during his first season, including matches in the J.League Cup, Emperor's Cup, and AFC Champions League qualifiers. He continued to maintain his form in the 2003 season, becoming the club's top scorer with 11 goals in 28 league appearances.

Yokohama F. Marinos

In 2004, Ahn transferred to Yokohama F. Marinos, the reigning J1 League champions. He quickly established himself as a key player, leading Yokohama to win the first stage. Although his performance was not continued in the second half of the season due to a mid-season injury, he became the team's top scorer with 12 goals in 25 league appearances. Yokohama secured back-to-back league titles by defeating second stage champions Urawa Red Diamonds in the championship play-offs after his contribution.

In 2005, Ahn continuously showed his impressive form, scoring four goals in nine appearances before receiving an offer from Ligue 1 club Metz.

Metz

In July 2005, Ahn signed a one-year contract with Metz in the Ligue 1. Another J1 League club Nagoya Grampus offered about four times more salary than Metz, but he chose to return to Europe. However, he underperformed at Metz, scoring only 2 goals in 16 league matches. Metz struggled throughout the season, eventually facing relegation even after Ahn left the club in winter.

MSV Duisburg

Ahn Jung-hwan
Ahn with MSV Duisburg in 2006

In January 2006, Blackburn Rovers invited Ahn to a tryout for them, but Ahn refused their offer in order to request a definite deal. In February, he secured a 17-month deal with Bundesliga club MSV Duisburg. He aimed to acclimate to the environment of Germany, the host country of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, ahead of the tournament. He scored two goals in 12 outings, and Duisburg was relegated to the 2. Bundesliga. He was interested in a move to Heart of Midlothian of the Scottish Premier League after the end of the season, but it fell through. Released by Duisburg in August, he returned to South Korea.

Suwon Samsung Bluewings

In January 2007, Ahn joined K League club Suwon Samsung Bluewings on a one-year deal. He initially showed promise, scoring a hat-trick in a League Cup match against Daejeon Citizen. However, his performance declined, and he was left out of the national team for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.

While playing for the reserve team in a R League match to regain his ability, Ahn tried to get into the stand after being verbally abused by FC Seoul fans. Although he was not protected from their impolite insults, he was ejected from the match and had to pay a fine.

Ahn's stint at Suwon was ultimately underwhelming, scoring 5 goals without a league goal in 25 appearances. He left the club at the end of the season.

Return to Busan

In 2008, Ahn returned to his former club, now known as Busan IPark. His performance at Busan was statistically not outstanding, but set an example for his teammates. Busan offered him a contract extension including the best treatment in the team after the season, but he looked forward to playing in one of foreign leagues, especially the Major League Soccer.

Dalian Shide

On 20 March 2009, Ahn joined Chinese Super League side Dalian Shide on a seven-month contract until the end of the 2009 season. Quickly attracted to Ahn's performance, Dalian executives extended his contract for another year in less than three months. Despite his old age, he played a key role in Dalian's attack, becoming the team's top scorer in 2009 and 2010. Especially, Dalian reached fourth place in the league standing with three matches left of the 2010 season, approaching an AFC Champions League berth under his influence. However, a knee injury sidelined him for the last matches, and his team finished sixth after failing to earn any victories during his absence.

Ahn re-signed with Dalian for the 2011 season, but his prime was finished that year. On 29 October 2011, he wore the captain's armband in his last match at Dalian, and bade farewell to Dalian fans at half-time of the match. He announced his retirement as a player in January 2012.

International career

Early career

In 1994, Ahn was selected for the South Korean under-20 team for the AFC Youth Championship. About three years later, on 23 April 1997, he made his senior international debut in a 2–0 friendly win over China. He also played for the South Korean Universiade team in the 1997 Summer Universiade in August, winning a silver medal.

2002 World Cup

Ahn took charge of South Korea's striker position with Hwang Sun-hong in rotation at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Despite initial doubts from national team manager Guus Hiddink, Ahn gained the manager's trust in pre-tournament friendlies. Especially in a 4–1 win over Scotland, he destroyed the opponents by having two goals and an assist.

In the second group stage match against the United States, Ahn scored an equaliser which saved his team from defeat. In the Round of 16 match against Italy, he missed an early penalty, but later scored a dramatic golden goal in extra time, securing South Korea's historic advancement to the quarter-finals. This goal is considered one of the most iconic moments in World Cup and South Korean football. In the third place match against Turkey, his shot hit the opponents' net, but was not recognised as a goal by an offside call. He was shortlisted for the All-Star Team by his contribution to South Korea's top-four finish.

"Ahn is the same type of striker as Romário or Raúl. They can completely omit a certain phase of the game. On the bench, you will rotate every other player, but toward this type of player, you will sometimes feel he can just turn the game upside down." – Guus Hiddink, in an interview with football magazine De VoetbalTrainer

2004 Asian Cup

Ahn scored a goal in a 3–1 victory over Hong Kong, while helping South Korea win the inaugural EAFF Championship in 2003. His reputation in South Korea at the time was transcendental. He was undergoing basic military training instead of mandatory military service, from which he was specially exempt by an outcome at the 2002 World Cup, but exceptionally got a vacation in the middle of the training to play a friendly against Argentina.

On the other hand, Ahn had less opportunity to play at the AFC Asian Cup. He was not called up for the 2000 and 2007 tournaments due to his slumps at clubs. At the 2004 tournament, his first and last Asian Cup, he played as a substitute in three subsequent matches after showing a lethargic harmony with Jo Bonfrère's first-choice striker Lee Dong-gook in the first match. Despite his limited playing time, he scored against the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

2006 World Cup

Ahn played as a substitute for South Korea in three group stage matches at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In the opening match against Togo, he was named the official Man of the Match by scoring the winning goal, which brought South Korea's precious victory. He also became Asia's all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history with three goals. Despite his contribution, South Korea failed to progress beyond the group stage, finishing third in their group.

Retirement

Ahn was no longer South Korea's key player after the 2006 World Cup, but was selected for the national team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup due to his experiences as a veteran. However, he did not play in any matches at the 2010 World Cup until South Korea was eliminated by Uruguay in the Round of 16. In an interview after 10 years, then manager Huh Jung-moo revealed he really wanted to use Ahn in the middle of the match against Uruguay, but finally chose Lee Dong-gook as a substitute after judging that Ahn's physical condition was not recovered.

Ahn announced his retirement as a player on 31 January 2012. He had a retirement ceremony at half-time in a World Cup qualifier against Kuwait on 29 February.

Style of play

Ahn's technical gifts for passing, dribbling and shooting based on two-footed ability could deploy him in any attacking position, and led him to be called the "fantasista" in South Korea. He looked comfortable when playing as an attacking midfielder, but also could play as a winger or striker. However, he had some drawbacks such as lack of physical strength and defensive contribution.

"Ahn was a rare type of player in our country. His skills were impossible for me, and were not behind European players. He showed Korean players also can play technical football." – Park Ji-sung

After retirement

After retiring from professional football, Ahn has usually worked as a television personality. He is considered one of the most successful athletes-turned-comedians in South Korea, alongside Kang Ho-dong and Seo Jang-hoon. His unaffected and sharp talking has attracted a lot of viewers. He also hosted some television shows including Please Take Care of My Refrigerator.

Ahn has worked as a football commentator, and has provided live commentaries of South Korea's football matches broadcast by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation since 2014.

In 2012, Ahn was appointed an honorary ambassador for the K League. He toured all 16 stadiums of K League clubs and invited his teammates at the 2002 World Cup to the K League All-Star Game. He was acclaimed for his enthusiastic publicity campaign.

Ahn was one of the carriers of the Olympic flame at the opening of the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Ahn, who steadily volunteered his services and donations since becoming footballer, was appointed an honorary ambassador for Save the Children in 2019. Until 2023, he donated ₩300 million, the profits from his YouTube channel, to Save the Children and participated in various charity activities.

In 2021, Ahn co-founded entertainment company "Moongchin Project".

In October 2024, he participated in the Nexon Icon Match in Korea as a striker team.

Personal life

Ahn, who married former Miss Korea Lee Hye-won in 2001, has one daughter and one son. He was nicknamed The Lord of the Ring after kissing his wedding ring whenever he celebrated his goal, and his celebration became fashionable among South Koreans at the time.

Ahn is widely regarded as one of the most handsome footballers in South Korea. Before his retirement, his face was frequently compared with South Korean actors and appeared in various television advertisements.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Busan Daewoo Royals 1998 K League 17 5 0 0 16 8 33 13
1999 K League 24 14 1 0 10 7 35 21
2000 K League 13 8 0 0 7 2 20 10
Total 54 27 1 0 33 17 88 44
Perugia 2000–01 Serie A 15 4 1 0 16 4
2001–02 Serie A 15 1 2 0 17 1
Total 30 5 3 0 33 5
Shimizu S-Pulse 2002 J1 League 10 3 3 2 1 0 1 2 15 7
2003 J1 League 28 11 4 3 4 2 3 3 39 19
Total 38 14 7 5 5 2 4 5 54 26
Yokohama F. Marinos 2004 J1 League 25 12 1 1 1 0 4 3 31 16
2005 J1 League 9 4 0 0 0 0 3 3 12 7
Total 34 16 1 1 1 0 7 6 43 23
Metz 2005–06 Ligue 1 16 2 0 0 0 0 16 2
MSV Duisburg 2005–06 Bundesliga 12 2 12 2
2006–07 2. Bundesliga 0 0 0 0
Total 12 2 12 2
Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2007 K League 15 0 1 0 10 5 26 5
Busan IPark 2008 K League 19 4 1 0 8 2 28 6
Dalian Shide 2009 Chinese Super League 26 6 26 6
2010 Chinese Super League 24 10 24 10
2011 Chinese Super League 15 2 0 0 15 2
Total 65 18 0 0 65 18
Career total 283 88 14 6 57 26 11 11 365 131

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
South Korea 1997 3 0
1999 4 1
2000 5 1
2001 4 0
2002 13 5
2003 7 2
2004 15 5
2005 6 1
2006 8 2
2008 3 0
2010 3 0
Career total 71 17

Results list South Korea's goal tally first.

List of international goals scored by Ahn Jung-hwan
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1
12 June 1999 Seoul, South Korea 5  Mexico 1–1 1–1 1999 Korea Cup
2
20 December 2000 Tokyo, Japan 12  Japan 1–0 1–1 Friendly
3 16 May 2002 Busan, South Korea 20  Scotland 2–0 4–1 Friendly
4
4–1
5
10 June 2002 Daegu, South Korea 23  United States 1–1 1–1 2002 FIFA World Cup
6
18 June 2002 Daejeon, South Korea 25  Italy 2–1 2–1 (aet) 2002 FIFA World Cup
7
20 November 2002 Seoul, South Korea 29  Brazil 2–1 2–3 Friendly
8
31 May 2003 Tokyo, Japan 32  Japan 1–0 1–0 Friendly
9
4 December 2003 Tokyo, Japan 34  Hong Kong 3–1 3–1 2003 EAFF Championship
10 14 February 2004 Ulsan South Korea 37  Oman 3–0 5–0 Friendly
11
4–0
12
9 June 2004 Daejeon, South Korea 43  Vietnam 1–0 2–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
13
23 July 2004 Jinan, China 46  United Arab Emirates 2–0 2–0 2004 AFC Asian Cup
14
27 July 2004 Jinan, China 47  Kuwait 4–0 4–0 2004 AFC Asian Cup
15
12 November 2005 Seoul, South Korea 56  Sweden 1–0 2–2 Friendly
16
13 June 2006 Frankfurt, Germany 62  Togo 2–1 2–1 2006 FIFA World Cup
17
16 August 2006 Taipei, Republic of China 65  Chinese Taipei 1–0 3–0 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Note(s) Ref.
2013 Law of the Jungle in Himalayas Himself
2014 World Cup Special Drawing Dream Himself (host)
2014–2015 Dad! Where Are We Going? Himself
2015 Cheongchun FC Hungry Eleven Himself
2015 Guide Himself
2015 The Human Condition Himself
2016 Future Diary Himself (host)
2016–2019 Please Take Care of My Refrigerator Himself (host)
2016 Cook Representative Himself (host)
2016–2017 My Little Television Himself
2016–2018 Carefree Travellers Himself (host)
2016–2017 Flower Crew Himself
2018 Creaking Heroes Himself
2018 1 Percent of Friendship Himself (host)
2018–2019 Cool Kids Himself
2019–2021 Let's Play Soccer Himself
2020 Will They Eat When Delivered? Himself
2020–2023 Buddy into the Wild Himself
2021 Let's Play Basketball Himself
2021 National Bang Bang Cook Cook Himself
2021 Lanson Marketplace Himself
2021 Why Is Classical 2 Himself (host)
2021–2023 Let's Play Soccer 2 Himself
2021 My Name Is Caddy Himself (host)
2022 Legend Festival Himself (host)
2022 Brave Detectives Himself
2022 Hole-in-one between Legends Himself
2022 Neighborhood Billiards Himself (host)
2022 IT Live from Today Himself (host)
2022–2023 Brave Detectives 2 Himself
2022 Ahn Jung-hwan's Hidden Qatar Himself
2023 Rural Police Returns Himself
2023–present Brave Detectives 3 Himself
2023–present Let's Play Soccer 3 Himself
2023–present Rural Police Returns 2 Himself

Music video

Year Title Artist Ref.
1999 "Already Sad Love" Yada

Honours

Player

Busan Daewoo Royals

  • Korean League Cup: 1998

Yokohama F. Marinos

South Korea B

  • Summer Universiade silver medal: 1997
  • East Asian Games: 1997

South Korea

  • EAFF Championship: 2003

Individual

  • K League All-Star: 1998, 1999
  • K League 1 Best XI: 1998, 1999
  • K League 1 Most Valuable Player: 1999
  • Korean FA Fans' Player of the Year: 2003

Television personality

List of awards and nominations received by TV personality Ahn Jung-hwan
Award ceremony Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
SBS Entertainment Awards 2013 Best Challenge Award Law of the Jungle in Himalayas Won
2016 Excellence Award in Variety Show Flower Crew Nominated
MBC Entertainment Awards 2014 Special Award in a Variety Show Dad! Where Are We Going? Won
2019 Popularity Award in Variety Show Broadcasting By Your Side Won
Best Couple Award Nominated
2020 Excellence Award in Variety Show Buddies in the Wild Nominated
2021 Top Excellence Award in Variety Show Won
2022 Grand Prize Buddies in the Wild
Ahn Jung-hwan's Hidden Qatar
Nominated
Entertainer of the Year Award Won
Best Couple Award Ahn Jung-hwan's Hidden Qatar Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ahn Jung-hwan para niños

kids search engine
Ahn Jung-hwan Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.