Gijang-gun Accelerates Launch of 'Gijang-gun Citizen Football Team'... Head Coach and Coach Appointed

First Match Against Jinju Citizen Football Team on the 22nd

Busan Gijang-gun (Governor Jeong Jong-bok) is accelerating preparations for the establishment of the ‘Gijang-gun Citizen Football Team’ by appointing coach Choi Jin-han as the inaugural manager of the team on the 7th.

Jung Jong-bok, the mayor of Gijang-gun, is appointing the coach of the Gijang-gun Citizens' Football Team and taking a commemorative photo. (From left: Coach Choi Wang-gil, Manager Choi Jin-han, Mayor Jung Jong-bok of Gijang-gun, Coach Kim Do-yoon) Provided by Gijang-gun

At the appointment ceremony held in the governor’s office at the county hall on the same day, Manager Choi Jin-han, Coach Kim Do-yoon, and Coach Choi Wang-gil were appointed as the leaders of the ‘Gijang-gun Citizen Football Team.’

Manager Choi Jin-han played an active role as a coach when the national team made history by reaching the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup. He also served as the manager of Gyeongnam FC, leading the team to the runner-up position in the Hana Bank FA CUP, and recently has gained diverse coaching experience while working overseas.

The ‘Gijang-gun Citizen Football Team’ is a key sports project promoted by Gijang-gun to revitalize citizen sports and boost local pride.

Starting from a policy proposal by the Gijang-gun governor’s transition committee in 2022, the team’s establishment has been formalized through preparations such as ordinance enactment and budget securing last year, and now with the appointment of the coaching staff. In the future, with Governor Jeong Jong-bok as the club owner, the team will consist of three coaches and about 35 players, representing Gijang-gun and competing in the K4 League.

Governor Jeong Jong-bok, after presenting the appointment certificates, urged, “Please lead the Gijang-gun Citizen Football Team passionately based on your seasoned leadership and diverse experience,” and added, “I hope the Gijang-gun Citizen Football Team will become a new growth engine for Gijang-gun.”

Manager Choi Jin-han said, “I will do my best in every match so that the newly launched Gijang-gun Citizen Football Team can raise the pride and status of the citizens.”

The county plans to complete the team roster within this month and participate in the K4 League for the first time this year. The Gijang-gun Citizen Football Team is also preparing for its first match against Jinju Citizen Football Team at Modeok Sports Park in Jinju on Saturday, the 22nd.