The funeral hall of Asan Medical Center in Seoul, where the mortuary of Oh Kyu-sang, the “Godfather” who led the golden age of Korean women’s soccer, was held, was crowded with mourners from the 21st to the 22nd. In order to see off the last path of the deceased, not only soccer players but also people from all walks of life continued to visit until late at night.
Oh died on Tuesday afternoon due to deterioration of his chronic illness. He was 70.
After graduating from Kyungshin High School and Korea University, Oh was a former soccer player who represented the youth from 1975 to 1976 and played for the national team in 1977. He also left a huge mark as an administrator. After serving as vice president of Ulsan Hyundai in the K-League and the general manager of Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, he served for a long time as a representative of women’s soccer. After serving as vice chairman of the Korea Women’s Football Association in 2003, Oh was elected as the fifth president unanimously in 2008. Recently, he ran alone and won his fifth term in office, beginning his term as the ninth president.
The biggest achievement was the launch of the WK League in 2009, which became a stronghold for the evolution of Korean women’s soccer. He established the system in his hometown and led the continuous development. Although the public shows little interest in soccer compared to other sports, he scrambled to lay the groundwork for players to make ends meet only with soccer. He also held amateur competitions, including the Queen’s flag hosted by Sports Seoul, to secure a large number of sponsors, and made efforts to find promising players and improve infrastructure.
Kim Jung-sun, secretary-general of the Women’s Federation, said, “Recently, he asked me to ‘never let you know your condition’ in case there was a problem in securing sponsors. He did all his duties until the end.”
Not only soccer players such as Chung Mong-kyu, president of the Korea Football Association, Kwon Oh-gap, president of the Korea Professional Football Association, Huh Jung-moo, former chairman of Daejeon, Hong Myung-bo and Shin Sang-woo, coaches of the men’s and women’s A-team, Kim Seung-gyu and Ji So-yeon, but also Um Hong-gil, a mountain climber who built a friendship with Oh by climbing Cheonji Mountain on Mount Baekdu during the revitalization of inter-Korean exchanges, visited the mortuary. “I can’t believe Kyu-sang went like this,” Eom lamented while kneeling in front of the portrait.
Chairman Chung Mong-gyu stayed at the funeral home for an unusually long period of time to console the bereaved family and take care of the mourners. “He showed great drive to put into action what is difficult for others to do,” said Hong, who discussed various policies on women’s soccer development with Oh when he was managing director of the Korea Football Association. “The world of women’s soccer has become a big star.”
Shin was acquainted with Oh for a long time through his father Shin Doo-soon, former manager of Korea First Bank. “When I was young, I was as warm as the guy next door,” Shin said. “When I was a coach in the WK League, I was praised by Oh and scolded. I felt everything from him. He was more reliable than my father in a way.”
Jeon Ga-eul (retired), the leading player in the round of 16 at the 2015 Women’s World Cup, said, “I think there will be tomorrow. That’s how long he’s been the head of my generation and he’s made a lot of progress,” adding, “After quitting his career, I feel ‘very grateful’ for what Chairman Oh has done.” 메이저사이트
Oh Sung-won, the youngest son of Oh, said, “My father was a soccer man who thought too much about soccer to his family. He used to go to the stadium when he needed treatment.” “Working in the soccer field made me understand my father even more,” he said. “I learned how to learn from him because he is a man with great enthusiasm.”
Meanwhile, the association has decided to hold Oh’s funeral as the president of the association. The funeral ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on Sunday at the Korea Football Association in Sinmun-ro, Seoul. “Chairman Oh Kyu-sang has contributed to the development of Korean soccer by serving as the director of the association since the 1990s, and in particular, he made the decision in honor of his dedication to the development of Korean women’s soccer including the creation of the WK League in 2009,” the association said.