Busan Transportation Corporation Football Team Appoints New Head Coach Baek Gi-hong... Aiming for a New Leap

'Nangjungjichu' Rising Star Baek Gi-hong... Skilled Player Who Overcame 25:1 Competition Rate

Fair and Systematic Player Selection, Expecting Past Glory of the Football Team

Baek Ki-hong, a rising star, has been appointed as the new head coach of the Busan Transportation Corporation Football Club, which dreams of a spectacular takeoff.

The Busan Transportation Corporation Football Club (President and Club Owner Lee Byung-jin) finalized the appointment of Baek Ki-hong (age 53) as the new head coach for a two-year term last month.

After finishing as runners-up in the 2019 National Sports Festival and lingering in the lower ranks of the league, the club is receiving praise for creating an opportunity to soar once again by appointing the innovative young coach Baek, whose freshness shines from player selection to tactics.

As evidenced by the competition rate of 25 to 1, the newly appointed head coach Baek Ki-hong surprised the football world by defeating strong candidates to be selected as the final head coach. Although there were competitors with brilliant careers as national team players, the news that Coach Baek was appointed to the head coach position of a semi-professional football team, known for its high entry barriers, is considered groundbreaking.

Coach Baek Ki-hong is also a skilled professional who has built solid experience, including his time as a national team player. Not only did he play for the national team during his playing career, but he also has experience leading his teams to championships while coaching in the K1, K2, and K3 leagues, making him a well-prepared coach.

The Busan Transportation Corporation Football Club is a prestigious semi-professional football club, boasting victories such as the National League championship and five National Sports Festival titles. Although recent results have been somewhat disappointing, the club is determined to recreate past glories by using Coach Baek’s appointment as a stepping stone. Coach Baek himself expressed his determination, stating that his goal is to establish a systematic system that can consistently maintain a top-tier position.

The first step is a change in the player selection method. Moving away from the previous method of selecting players through a single open test or relying on recommendations from other clubs or related organizations, the plan is to introduce a two-week training camp test to verify players from multiple angles before final selection. Additionally, based on his experience coaching in various leagues, Coach Baek is also focusing on recruiting promising players from professional leagues.

Coach Baek plans to recruit promising players who were eliminated from professional leagues in January and February to build the desired squad and enhance the completeness of the team’s strength through systematic and intensive training. According to Coach Baek’s plan, the complete form of the Busan Transportation Corporation Football Club is expected to take shape around early next year.

Lee Byung-jin, President of Busan Transportation Corporation, said, “If the establishment of the corporation, whose basic planning service is nearing completion, becomes visible, the football club will become even more professional,” and added, “We will spare no support so that the club can take off once again with the new head coach.”