Who is Hull City’s alleged dream target, Song Min-kyu?

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors striker Song Min-kyu is said to be being linked with Championship side Hull City, according to an exclusive report in Korean newspaper Sports Donga on Monday.

The newspaper cited several anonymous sources and said that the two clubs had been in talks about Song’s transfer since last month and that his move to Europe was imminent.

A move to Hull City would be his first transfer abroad after spending six years in the K League since making his professional debut with Pohang Steelers in 2018.

Song, 24, can continue his career in Europe without interruption as he earned an exemption from military service by winning a gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year.

Song’s absence could be a blow to struggling Jeonbuk, who were ranked 10th in the 12-team K League 1 table at press time on Tuesday. Despite his team’s poor performance, he has shown solid form.

Who exactly is Song and how well has he played in the K League?

Steelers Days

It took a while for Song to find his stride. In his first season in the 2018 K League 1 with the Steelers, he did not shine immediately and only played three games without scoring or assisting.

In the 2019 season, Song established himself as a regular player, but his outstanding performance so far has only been enough for two goals and three assists in 27 league games.

But the 2020 season was different: the striker played 31 games in all competitions, scoring eleven goals and providing seven assists, for which he was named the K League’s best young player.

Then-Pohang Steelers striker Song Min-kyu celebrates a goal during a K League 1 match against Incheon United at Pohang Steelyard in Pohang, North Gyeongsangnam on February 28, 2021. (NEWS1)

Although he stayed with the Pohang team until the first half of the 2021 season, he had not yet won a single trophy.

Joining Jeonbuk



Song joined Jeonbuk, who had won the K League 1 four times in a row, in the summer transfer window of the 2021 season. The AK League season runs in a calendar year from March to December of the same year.

Song Min-kyu poses with the K League 1 trophy. (JEONBUK HYUNDAI MOTORS)

His first season at Jeonbuk was a success, with him playing as a regular on the club’s way to the 2021 K League 1 title. The following season, he lifted another trophy: the 2022 Korean FA Cup – now Korea Cup.

In the 2023 season, Song became a central part of the team’s attack, scoring nine goals in 33 games as the team’s top scorer, although it was his first season at Jeonbuk in which he did not win a title.

Despite Jeonbuk falling out of favour in the first half of the 2024 season, Song has maintained his fine form so far this season with four goals and six assists in 19 league games. His contributions have helped his team climb up the table in recent weeks after spending several periods at the bottom of the table.

Career in the national team



Song was not regularly selected for the senior national team, but still competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Asian Games – which were held last year with a one-year delay – at the U23 level and gained an exemption from military service by winning a gold medal at the Asian Games.

Korea’s Song Min-kyu (left) fights for the ball during the final of the men’s football tournament at the Hangzhou Asian Games on October 8, 2023 in Hangzhou, China. (NEWS1)

At senior level, he has won 13 caps since making his senior debut in June 2021, but has mainly played in World Cup qualifiers and only made the bench at the 2022 World Cup.

The Jeonbuk striker did not make the squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

Playstyle

Song’s strengths as a winger include countering pressure, creating space and positioning that allows him to maintain the flow of play and score goals in the box.

His aggressive running style and good heading skills have also earned him several goals. His ability to drive an attack with power is also notable, but he is not the type of winger to dribble past a defender in one-on-one situations as he lacks pace.

At times, a lack of defense factors was a problem.

What consequences will Song’s absence have for Jeonbuk?

Following his departure to Hull City, Jeonbuk must now find a replacement before the club can continue its run to avoid relegation in the second half of the regular season, which ends in November.

Suwon FC midfielder Lee Seung-woo, who is expected to join Jeonbuk, and Korean media reports that he will also make the move, could fill the vacancy thanks to his good performance in the first half of the season, where he scored 10 goals in 18 league matches.

If the deal with Hull City goes through, Song will join the Championship team ahead of the 2024–25 season, which begins in August.

His move would also set the stage for a Korean derby between Swansea City midfielders Eom Ji-sung and Stoke City’s Bae Jun-ho.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN ([email protected])