Young players who appeared through the K-League semi-professional contract system will continue to play.
Young players who have recently appeared like comets are embroidering the K-League. Gangwon FC striker Yang Min-hyuk has scored five goals and three assists in 20 K-League matches since his debut this year, leading his team to rank fourth in the league.
Park Seung-soo (Suwon Samsung) has played in two consecutive K-League 2 matches since the inauguration of Coach Byun Sung-hwan, and scored his debut goal in a match against the Ansan Greeners on June 30. Yang Min-hyuk is a senior in high school born in 2006, and Park Seung-soo is a senior in high school born in 2007.
The Korean Professional Football Federation implemented a semi-professional contract system in 2018. The purpose was to improve the skills of youth players under the club and to find prospects early. In addition, it encouraged each club to strengthen investment in youth clubs.
Players who are in the first to third grade of high school among the youth clubs under the K League are eligible, and the number of semi-professional contracts per team can be concluded five times in a season. Players who have semi-professional contracts receive a basic salary of 12 million won per year. Allowances can be paid according to the agreement between the players and the club.
The semi-professional contract is valid from the date of signing the contract to December 31 of the year of becoming a third year of high school. It is also possible to sign a professional contract among semi-professional contracts, and Yang Min-hyuk, who recently signed a professional contract with Gangwon, is a case in this case.
Semi-professional contracts soon became a gateway for young players after their introduction. According to the Korea Professional Football Association, 19 out of 50 players have played more than one K-League game, or 38 percent.
Oh Hyun-kyu, who signed a semi-professional contract with Suwon Samsung in 2019, has since grown into a professional and succeeded in going to Celtic, Scotland in 2023. Kwon Hyuk-kyu, who moved to Celtic together, also debuted as a semi-professional at Busan I'Park in 2019.
New star players from semi-professional contracts are pouring in. Kim Ji-soo, who signed a semi-professional contract with Seongnam FC in 2022, transferred to the club after receiving a love call from Brentford in England in 2023.
In addition to Yang Min-hyuk and Park Seung-soo, Yoon Do-young (Daejeon), Kang Min-woo (Ulsan), and Kang Joo-hyuk (Seoul) will also stand out this year. 메이저놀이터
A federation official said, "The number of clubs registering semi-professional contract players is on the rise. Most of the players who had a lot of opportunities to play at that time showed consistent performance even after switching to professional."