[Official] 'Two goals and one assist explosion' Star Award winner Kim Hyun-oh honored as K League 2 Round 18 MVP

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Hyun-oh (19), a forward for Gyeongnam FC in the K League 2, has been named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Round 18.

Kim Hyun-oh was named the K League 2 Round 18 MVP by the Korea Professional Football Federation on the 21st. This marks the first time Kim has been selected as a round MVP.

In a match against Ansan Greeners held at Changwon Soccer Center on the 19th, Kim started and recorded two goals and one assist, leading his team to a decisive 5-0 victory. He assisted Jo Sang-jun's opening goal in the 10th minute of the first half, then scored twice more — once in the 40th minute of the first half and again just before the final whistle.

Kim, who joined Gyeongnam FC on loan this season after leaving Daejeon Hana Citizen, has appeared in 14 matches this season, recording four goals and one assist.

After signing a semi-professional contract with Daejeon last year, Kim made his professional debut at the age of 17 years, seven months, and 21 days. He was also named the winner of the Football Category Star Award at the 2025 Futures Star Awards, hosted by StarNews in November last year.

Son Seung-jun, a full-time coach in charge of the Korea Football Association's Under-18 (U18) division who participated as a selection committee member at the time, stated, "He has sufficient potential to participate in the U-20 World Cup despite being two years younger than eligible. Although he is still a high school student, he is a promising player capable of competing on the professional stage."

Lee Jong-min, Daejeon's Technical Director (then a scout), said, "Despite his tall stature (183 cm) and large build, he excels at penetrating spaces behind opponents and utilizes fast speed. He can play an important role in quick counterattacks after protecting the ball through post-play, and his excellent physicality allows him to gain advantage in duels and create breakthroughs." He also added, "His high work rate enables effective pressing from the front, and he possesses strong heading ability and finishing skills."

Meanwhile, Kim Dae-won of Gangwon FC was selected as the K League 1 Round 18 MVP. In a match against Kim Cheon (SVP) held at Gangneung High School 1 Resort Arena on the 18th, Kim scored multiple goals to lead his team to a 2-0 victory. He opened the scoring with a free-kick goal in the 22nd minute of the first half and sealed the win with a long-range shot in the 42nd minute.

The K League Round Best 11 and MVP are determined through quantitative and qualitative evaluations by the Technical Research Group (TSG) under the Korea Professional Football Federation's Technical Committee. The TSG Match Evaluation Committee compiles scores, opinions, and non-professional ratings for players selected in the match-by-match Best 11 to finalize the Best 11 and MVP.

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*This content was translated by AI.