A player who is more welcome than any other player has returned. Park Chang-joon, who wore the Bucheon FC 1995 uniform again 731 days after completing his military service, is the hero of this season. Having finally returned home, Park is committed to ending the 2024 season with “no regrets.”
Bucheon had a 1-1 draw at the 35th round home game of Hana Bank K League 2 2024 held at Bucheon Stadium at 2 p.m. on Wednesday. Mulic lost a point first in the 33rd minute of the first half, but Vassani scored an equalizer in the 22nd minute of the second half to secure one valuable point. Bucheon, which has one point added, is currently eighth, but it is three points behind the playoff qualification (5th).
There was a welcoming face in the match. Park Chang-joon was wearing No. 11 uniform. Park Chang-joon was on the substitute list but was substituted for Han Ji-ho in the 10th minute of the second half and played for about 40 minutes.
Park Chang-joon flew much faster in Bucheon in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He was the spearhead of offense, which helped the team greatly by scoring 19 points and four assists throughout the two seasons. After briefly leaving the team for military service, Park returned to Bucheon in about a year and nine months after working as a social service member for the Dangjin Citizen’s Soccer Team in the K4 League.
Park Chang-joon, who met with reporters after the game, said, “I was confident because I made my body well, but I wasn’t satisfied with my personal performance,” adding, “Tempo had a hard time adapting because the first half and the second half were clearly different. As time passed, I thought I got used to it, so it was time to add to the second half.”
During his military service, he worked as a social service worker from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and conducted training sessions at Dangjin Citizens’ Soccer Team in the evening. He did not miss out on individual training sessions. In response, he said, “I had experiences that I had never done before. I think I tried to live with a positive mind. I met a lot of good people. For me, it was a turning point, or a time when I developed myself,” he said, explaining how he had a meaningful time.
It has been only 731 days since the playoff game against Gyeongnam FC on October 19, 2022 that Park Chang-joon played in Bucheon. He must have been very excited. “It was great to see you guys after a long time,” Park said. “I felt like I was at home. But now I had about 10 players that I played with two years ago. There were only two players in today’s roster.”
“Still, I’ve watched a lot of Bucheon games while serving in the military, so I’m sure I’m new to the players now, but I’m not,” Park Chang-joon said. “Thanks to that, I was able to approach my young friends as if I’ve seen them a lot. If we get close, we have better chemistry on the ground, so I think we need to get close as soon as possible.”
Park Chang-joon reportedly worked with the Bucheon players for three weeks without taking any leave of absence after finishing his military service. “I collected many things without taking sick leave or annual leave. We had national holidays such as Chuseok, National Foundation Day, and Hangeul Day, which allowed us to secure three weeks of time,” Park said. “The players are really good after training together. I think they are the best foreign players I have ever seen. There are many young players, but they are never young in terms of skills. I think I just need to do well now.” 안전놀이터
There are only four games left, but I think I will do my best during the given time. Finally, Park Chang-joon said, “I think I need to prepare for the next game by reflecting on today’s game. It was a time for me to personally improve myself for a year and nine months, but now I have to show it on the field. I will play the remaining four games well so that Bucheon can finish the season with no regrets. I ask for your support and interest.”