Kim Byung-ji

Kim spent 24 seasons as a professional player from 1992 to 2015. He kept 229 clean sheets and scored three goals while playing a record 706 games in the K League and Korean League Cup. Kim was selected for the South Korean squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. South Korea lost 5–0 to the Netherlands in its second match, and South Korean players couldn't avoid journalists' criticisms after the defeat. Furthermore, South Korea's manager Cha Bum-kun was sacked, although the tournament was ongoing. However, Kim struggled in the Netherlands' 17 shots on target, and became the only player to receive acclaim despite conceding five goals.

Kim was a sweeper-keeper who could show clearances outside the penalty area at a rapid pace. He also had great reflexes, and was skilled in making super saves. However, his excessively active personality sometimes resulted in eccentric plays. In a match of the 2001 Lunar New Year Cup against Paraguay, he was deprived of the ball after he suddenly tried to dribble, and embarrassed Guus Hiddink, the former South Korea's manager. Kim formed a strong rivalry with Lee Woon-jae in the K League and the national team, and also competed with him for the position as a starter in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Hiddink agonised over the choice of a goalkeeper until the start of the tournament, but selected Lee because of Kim's eccentric play in the Lunar New Year Cup.

Club

International

Player

Sangmu FC

Korean Semi-professional League (Spring): 1992 Korean Semi-professional League (Autumn): 1991 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i

K League 1: 1996 Korean FA Cup runner-up: 1998 Korean League Cup: 1995, 1998 Pohang Steelers

Korean FA Cup runner-up: 2001, 2002 FC Seoul

Korean League Cup: 2006 Individual

Korean Semi-professional League (Autumn) Best Player: 1991 K League All-Star: 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2015 K League 1 Best XI: 1996, 1998, 2005, 2007 K League All-Star Game Most Valuable Player: 2000 K League Hall of Fame: 2025 Records

K League all-time appearance leader: 708 appearances K League all-time clean sheet leader: 229 clean sheets

Television personality