Kim Min-jae

Gyeongju KHNP

Kim joined semi-professional club Gyeongju KHNP on 1 July 2016, and participated in the Korea National League from the middle of the 2016 season. Kim played 15 matches for KHNP until the end of the regular season, leading his team to the play-offs. On 2 November, Kim played the quarter-final game of the play-offs for 78 minutes, contributing to a 2–0 victory over Changwon City. On 5 November, KHNP drew 1–1 with Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in the semi-final, but were not able to advance to the final due to a lower rank in the regular season standings.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

On 22 December 2016, Kim joined K League club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on a free transfer. Jeonbuk manager Choi Kang-hee expressed his expectancy about him during the pre-season training camps in Dubai, and used him as a key player from the beginning. Kim made his debut goal for his career in a K League 1 match against Daegu FC on 25 June 2017. He scored his second goal for Jeonbuk against Gwangju FC with a mid-range volley on 19 August. He was ousted from the game against Sangju Sangmu for warnings accumulated on 20 September. On 15 October, it turned out that Kim suffered a semilunar valve injury and for this reason Kim had to have surgery in Japan, being unable to play remaining games of the season. With his performance, he was named the K League Young Player of the Year and nominated for a part of the K League Best XI, although he was shown nine yellow cards and one red card…

On 14 August 2017, Kim was named in South Korea's squad for the last two qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup against Iran and Uzbekistan. In said tournament against Iran on 31 August 2017, Kim debuted as a starter and sent off Iranian footballer Saeid Ezatolahi while showing great defense for 84 minutes. On 5 September, Kim played as a full-time player against Uzbekistan, helping South Korea keep one more clean sheet. After these matches, South Korea qualified for the ninth consecutive FIFA World Cup. However, he suffered an injury on 8 May 2018 and was unable to take part in that year's World Cup. On 1 September 2018, South Korea defeated Japan 2–1 in the gold medal match of the 2018 Asian Games. As a result of this victory, Kim and his teammates received an exemption from military service, reducing the two-year conscription to just a few weeks of basic training, which he later served in the summer of 2023. Kim was named in the South Korea squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He helped his team keep clean sheet in the first match against Uruguay, but he and his teammates conceded a total of seven goals in the matches against Ghana and Brazil. During the third match against Portugal, he was sidelined after an injury in his right calf from the first match. South Korea was eliminated from the tournament after losing 4–1 to Brazil in the round of 16. Kim played for the national team under manager Jürgen Klinsmann at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. He helped his nation reach the…

As a centre-back, Kim has excellent physical attributes, notably his strength, speed, height, and flexibility. Kim has a strong predictive ability in defense, and can often start and finish plays when the team advances. His long pass accuracy enables him to immediately hit the ball after the steal to complete a quick counterattack, and his excellent aerial ability and positioning allows him to perform headers to break up opposition attacks and start offensive plays. Typically, Kim positions himself as the rearmost player in his team's defensive formation. This strategic placement affords him ample time to decide whether to hold his position or confront the opposition. Despite his tendency to stay back, Kim exhibits a proactive and aggressive approach in winning possession beyond his defensive line. His blend of speed and physical strength makes him highly effective in regaining control for his team. At Bayern Munich, however, Kim has been criticised for struggling to adjust to playing in a higher defensive line.

Kim was born in Tongyeong. Both of his parents are former athletes and his brother was also a footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Myongji University. Kim embarked on his youth football career with the football club of Tongyeong Elementary School. He later transferred to Gaya Elementary School in Haman and graduated from there. He entered Yeoncho Middle School and Suwon Technical High School which has produced many international footballers such as Park Ji-sung. After he graduated from high school in 2015, he went on to Yonsei University. In July 2016, when he was in his second year, he dropped out of school to fulfill his dream of making his professional debut, although the school tried to dissuade him.