[Seocho-dong Legal Talk] One Wrong Choice... 'Anfant Terrible' That Might Never Be Seen Again

Former Daejeon coach Ko Jong-su, who was sentenced to a suspended prison term in the second trial
[Photo by Korea Professional Football League]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] In 1998, Korean professional soccer was in the era of the 'Troika.' Troika is a Russian word meaning 'a carriage drawn by three horses.' When three outstanding star players emerged and led the popularity of professional soccer, everyone called them this.

Lee Dong-gook, Ahn Jung-hwan, and Ko Jong-soo. The three stars who attracted female soccer fans like clouds all retired together and are now walking different paths. Lee Dong-gook and Ahn Jung-hwan appear on TV entertainment shows and commentate on matches of the Korean national soccer team. Compared to these two who have brightly taken over the screen, Ko Jong-soo's current situation is humble and bitter.

Ko Jong-soo, who was managing the professional club Daejeon, was indicted on charges of selecting a specific player through improper procedures and was found guilty in both the first and second trials. On the 27th of last month, at the Daejeon High Court's second trial, he was sentenced to six months in prison with a one-year probation. The sentence was the same as in the first trial. Ko Jong-soo admitted his wrongdoing in the second trial and requested leniency, but the court did not take it into consideration. "As a famous soccer figure who was a national team member, he fundamentally damaged the value of fairness."

Even if Ko Jong-soo's side appeals to the Supreme Court, it seems difficult to overturn this result. The Supreme Court's appeal trial only reviews the application of the law, so the facts of the crime recognized up to the second trial are likely to be confirmed as is. There is also little room to challenge the punishment.

Ko Jong-soo may no longer be seen in the soccer world due to this ruling. He became a convicted offender with a suspended prison sentence. There are few soccer teams in Korea willing to entrust their fate to a coach with a criminal record.

He lost everything due to a momentary wrong choice. According to the rulings of the first and second trials, in December 2018, while Ko Jong-soo was the manager of Daejeon, during the public selection process for players to join the next year, former city council chairman Kim Jong-cheon requested that he select A, the son of an acquaintance. He refused the first time. In the second stage of evaluation, which assessed actual soccer skills, A's ability was poor, and the club did not have the financial capacity to select A.

Nevertheless, former Chairman Kim pressured Ko Jong-soo and Daejeon continuously, using the city budget allocated to the Daejeon club as leverage. He promised additional budget if A was selected. The Daejeon city government had already decided to cut more than 6 billion won from the supplementary budget for the current year and the next year's budget for the Daejeon club. For a soccer club that needs to feed and train players and staff for a year, this was a fatal blow. Ko Jong-soo ultimately chose the wrong path for the team.

A soccer industry insider said, "It is understood that former manager Ko Jong-soo agonized and decided to 'turn a blind eye just once' for the club struggling financially to select player A, but the matter escalated."

Will Ko Jong-soo have a chance to make a comeback? It does not seem easy at the moment. During his playing days, he was called 'Enfant terrible,' a French term meaning 'terrible child.' His soccer skills were exceptional, but he could not shake off his 'bad boy' tendencies.

Soccer was truly amazing for him. Half of his development was credited to former coach Kim Ho. In 1995, while driving down to his hometown Tongyeong, Gyeongnam, Kim Ho received a call from a junior about youth national team training in Gyeongju and turned his car around. Watching from afar, Kim noticed Ko Jong-soo, who was delivering the ball to the opposite side of the field with his left foot, hitting 9 out of 10 passes accurately. A week later, Kim took the helm of Suwon Samsung Bluewings and immediately brought Ko Jong-soo, a graduate of Kumho High School, to the team.

Thus, the legend began. Ko Jong-soo led Suwon to the top tier and became one of the biggest stars in professional soccer. He wore the Taegeuk mark at the 1998 France World Cup. He also participated in the Olympics twice (1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney). However, a year before the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, he suffered a cruciate ligament rupture and was not included in the final World Cup squad selected by coach Guus Hiddink. After that, his career declined. Controversies such as gaming, drinking, and unauthorized team absences continued until his retirement in 2008.

This is why fans still call him 'Enfant terrible.' The French writer Jean Cocteau's novel "Enfant terrible" is a 'sad ending.' Ko Jong-soo's soccer life now seems similar. However, there still seems to be many new opportunities. He is at a critical crossroads. Fans are now curious about what choice he will make next. Hopefully, this choice will not be wrong.