Chairman Park Tae-joon, a ‘great soccer pioneer’ who was remembered as ‘Tears of a Legend’ and ‘Memories of a Son’
It has been 12 years since he said goodbye to the world, but the footsteps of the late POSCO Honorary Chairman Park Tae-joon are still thick in the soccer world. Chairman Park Tae-joon’s presence was evident in the sacred Hall of Fame.
On the 2nd, the first K-League Hall of Fame celebration was held at the Ambassador Pullman Hotel Grand Ballroom located in Jangchung-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Chairman Park Tae-joon was dedicated to the ‘Contributor Division’. He was the founder of Pohang Steelers and Jeonnam Dragons, and he was a pioneer and challenger who even built ‘exclusive stadiums’ for both clubs.
Chairman Park Tae-joon is the creator of Pohang Steelers and Jeonnam Dragons. As the founder of the club, he has done many seemingly impossible tasks that no one else can do. Thanks to this, Pohang Steelers and Jeonnam Dragons have established themselves as historic clubs representing the K-League, and even have a ‘house’ that is not enviable in the world.
There is even a special stand called ‘Cheongam Zone’ in Steel Yard, a soccer-only stadium for the Pohang Steelers, which Chairman Park Tae-joon ordered to build. Cheongam is the nickname of Chairman Park Tae-joon. The existence of Cheongam Zone proves that his influence on the club was absolute, and that it continues to this day. If Manchester United’s Old Trafford has Alex Ferguson’s stand, Pohang Steelers’ Steel Yard has Cheongam Zone.
Suwon FC general manager Choi Soon-ho, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the ‘player category’ that day, was one of those who clearly remembered the leadership and greatness of President Park Tae-joon. At the time of announcing Chairman Park Tae-joon as a member of the ‘Contributor Division’, Director Choi Soon-ho stepped up to the podium and delivered a recommendation. In the middle of each recommended speech, the moment when Director Choi Soon-ho cried was approaching. In every word, there was a sense of desperation and sincerity.
“I met Chairman Park Tae-joon for the first time when I was in my third year of high school. He welcomed me as a young student and always told me to become a bigger person. I still can’t forget it. In those days when I was unfamiliar with the word soccer-only stadium, the president was the first in Korea that was not envious of Europe. He said, ‘Make your decision based on what is right for the future of Korean football.’ He was a person with insight. I would like to introduce President Park Tae-joon, a pioneer who emphasized the system without being afraid of the first attempt, and who loved football more than anyone else.”
Legendary tears and words of recommendation delivered a great resonance to everyone at the scene. In the distant past, what kind of tasks President Park Tae-joon had performed for the Korean soccer world and how sincere he was, reached Jangchung-dong through time and space. The reason why Chairman Park Tae-joon was inducted into the Hall of Fame was felt again when his son, Park Seong-bin, appeared as a substitute winner. Park Seong-bin gave the following impressions of the award.
“I came as an agent. It has been 12 years since I left. Thank you for giving me time to remember. My father really liked soccer. This is why soccer became a sparkling memory in my childhood. I remember giving it away, and in my later years, I went to the 2006 FIFA (International Football Federation) World Cup in Germany with my grandchildren. Soccer made precious memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. (Omitted) My father had a special relationship with soccer players. Future More than anything, he enjoyed meeting football talent who will lead the team. I hope that professional football will settle closer to our daily lives in the future.”온라인카지노
What kind of character Chairman Park Tae-joon was and how his love for soccer affected the memory of his family was buried in ‘Memories of a Son’. It was Chairman Park Tae-joon who spread the ‘good influence’ generated by soccer throughout society and at home. And his energy is passed on to all the descendants who love and compose the K-League to this day.
Pohang Steelers and Jeonnam Dragons, Pohang Steel Yard and Gwangyang Stadium. The two clubs and the two stadiums are symbols representing the K-League. The history of the two clubs occupies a large area in the K-League, and the soccer-only stadium built ahead of its time overflows with an antique style that cannot be followed in modern times. At the starting point of all of this was Chairman Park Tae-joon. This is why Chairman Park Tae-joon had to be selected as the ‘first’ in the first K-League Hall of Fame contributor category. It is still difficult to find a ‘soccer entrepreneur’ who was as sincere as Chairman Park Tae-joon.