'Kim Ye-geon Transfer Approved' Jeonbuk Hyundai's Decisive Move: "A Judgment for Player Development and Enhancement of Korea's Soccer Competitiveness"

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Ye-geon (18), once hailed as a soccer prodigy, was able to head to Europe just one month after signing a professional contract with Jeonbuk Hyundai, thanks to the club's "bold decision." Had Jeonbuk denied his transfer mid-season citing ranking competition reasons, his move to Europe could have been delayed. However, Jeonbuk chose to make the decision to prioritize the player's individual development and enhance Korea's soccer competitiveness.

Kim Ye-geon's transfer to Serbia's Crvena Zvezda was officially confirmed on the 25th (Korean time). Following media reports about his move to Zvezda, Kim missed his team's match last weekend and even greeted fans directly to announce the transfer news himself. He then finalized a formal contract with the club today, confirming his departure for Europe. The contract runs until June 2031, spanning five years, and he will wear jersey number 19.

For Jeonbuk, which signed Kim Ye-geon to a semi-professional contract in March and a full professional contract on the 9th of last month, this was not an easy choice. Although he is a young talent who recently made his professional debut, he had already established his position within the team by demonstrating formidable competitiveness in K League 1 despite his young age. In fact, with a debut goal scored in just two matches, coach Jeong Jeong-yong considered Kim one of the top offensive substitution options and even gave him starting opportunities. As a player who progressed through Jeonbuk's youth system at Geumsan Middle School and Jeonju Yeongsang High School, his symbolic value was also significant.

As Kim Ye-geon, who was quickly becoming a central figure for Jeonbuk beyond just being future talent, received continuous love calls from Europe, interest extended beyond Zvezda to several other European clubs. Amidst this, Kim's determination to move to Europe was strong. Although the team is still in the midst of a ranking competition with championship as its goal, the club ultimately respected the player's desire to transfer and approved his departure.

Jeonbuk explained, "Even while continuing an important ranking competition mid-season, we respected the player's own will to move to Europe. Based on the judgment that gaining opportunities to grow in a higher-level competitive environment is meaningful not only for the individual player's development but also for enhancing Korea's soccer competitiveness in the long term, we decided to actively support this European transfer."

According to the transfer specialist site Transfermarkt, Kim Ye-geon's transfer fee is 500,000 euros (approximately 810 million won). However, a so-called sell-on clause was included in the negotiations, allowing Jeonbuk to receive a portion of any future transfer fees if Kim moves to another club. Transfermarkt explained that this percentage could reach 25%. For instance, if Kim leaves Zvezda for another club with a transfer fee of 10 million euros (approximately 16.2 billion won), Jeonbuk would receive 25% of the fee, amounting to 2.5 million euros (approximately 4.03 billion won).

Jeonbuk's Director Lee Do-hyun stated, "Kim Ye-geon is a precious youth resource cultivated by the club over a long period and a player with high potential to lead Korean soccer in the future. While there are regrets from being part of the same season, we believed it was the club's role to respect his strong will to challenge the European stage. We sincerely wish Kim Ye-geon, who will carry Jeonbuk's pride in his heart and soar beautifully on the European stage, success in his future." Kim is expected to make his European debut as early as 3 a.m. on the 31st through FK Žemjan.

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*This content was translated by AI.