Jung Sung-ryong

Pohang Steelers

In January 2003, Jung signed his first professional contract with Pohang Steelers. During the first three years in Pohang, he failed to make any appearances for club's senior team due to becoming an understudy to first-choice goalkeeper Kim Byung-ji. Because of Kim's existence, Jung had thoughts of performing military duties, but was talked out of it by reserve team coach Park Tae-ha, who told he would get his chance. Jung started to compete with Shin Hwa-yong for the role as a starter since the 2006 season after Kim left Pohang. He made his senior debut and kept his first clean sheet in a 1–0 victory against Gyeongnam FC on 22 April 2006. Since making his debut, he finally started to play for the first team. In the 2006 K League, (including the 2006 Korean League Cup) Jung conceded 27 goals during 26 appearances, while Shin conceded 21 goals during 13 appearances. In the 2007 regular season, Pohang preferred Shin to Jung who had to commit to the national under-23 team. Nevertheless, Pohang trusted Jung with their goalpost in the K League Championship and the Korean FA Cup. He helped his team to win the K League title, and reach the FA Cup Final.

Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma

In February 2008 after Kim Yong-dae enlisted in Gwangju Sangmu, Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma scouted Jung to replace Kim. Jung attempted to negotiate with Pohang, but left the club with a year left on his contract. Jung played as the first-choice goalkeeper for Seongnam. Seongnam…

Early career

In July 2006, Jung was called up to the South Korea national football team for the first time. He was also selected for the national team for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, but sat on the bench throughout the tournament. He made his senior international debut in a 1–0 friendly defeat against Chile on 30 January 2008. Jung conceded only three goals in ten qualifiers of the 2008 Summer Olympics, leading South Korea to qualify for the competition. He scored 85-meter (93-yard) goal in an under-23 friendly against Ivory Coast on 27 July 2008 just before the Olympics, holding the world record until Everton keeper Tim Howard scored 93-meter (101-yard) goal in the 2011–12 Premier League. Jung played all three matches in the Olympics, but South Korea was eliminated in the group stage.

2010 FIFA World Cup

Jung became the successor to Lee Woon-jae prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In a friendly against Spain just before the World Cup, he conceded only one goal and won praise for his performance. Jung kept a clean sheet in his first World Cup match against Greece, although he was disturbed by the strong sunlight. He conceded four goals including his teammate's own goal in the next match against Argentina, but he was praised for blocking eight shots from Argentine players. However, his mistake against Uruguay in the round of 16 brought tears to his eyes. After his incorrect prediction about a cross from Diego Forlán, he went out of the goalpost and failed to…

Jung was born in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, and grew up in Gwangju. Jung began playing football when his father gave him a football in the second grade of elementary school. When Jung was in the fifth grade, his school's football club was founded, and he started his football career. Initially playing as a sweeper, he switched his role to goalkeeper in the middle school. Jung joined Seogwipo High School in Seogwipo, Jeju, after graduating from Gwangju Middle School. In the high school tournament of the 2002 Korean National Sports Festival, he played for Jeju's provincial team, and won the title.

Jung has one sister, who is one year older than him. When he was fifteen year old, his father died at age 59 and said his father's death affected him. In December 2008, Jung married Lim Ji-jeong, Gyeongnam's winner in the Miss Korea 2006. The couple have two sons and two daughters. Upon moving to Japan, Jung began settling in the country with his family and learning the Japanese language. Jung has a tattoo on his left wrist that said: "1 means my pride as a goalkeeper and my sense of responsibility as a keeper. It is meant to be." Jung is a Christian. In July 2010, Jung appeared in the SBS variety show Running Man. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jung donated 30 million won (about 3 million yen) to "International Relief Development NGO Good Neighbors" to support children in vulnerable groups and low-income families who are experiencing difficulties with the pandemic.