Newcastle United are progressing in their talks with 18-year-old South Korean star Park Seung-soo, who will join the Magpies’ long list of young talents in their academy.
If the deal is completed soon, he will become Newcastle United’s second official signing of the summer transfer window, but one who will not currently be of use to Eddie Howe.
Park Seung-soo has made a name for himself in the K-League 2 with Suwon Samsung Bluewings and is already capped with South Korea’s Under-20s. Newcastle are hoping they can get the deal done before they jet off to South Korea for their pre-season tour to play against a K-League XI and Tottenham Hotspur, with the belief is that Park Seung-soo’s presence will attract more interest from the local fans.
Newcastle’s academy is beginning to look more star-studded as each transfer window goes on, with Antonio Cordero joining in July after rejecting offers from Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Once he signs, Park Seung-soo will become Newcastle’s second-ever South Korean star. With a deal progressing, we look back at the Magpies’ only other player to represent South Korea.
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Ki Sung-Yueng is Newcastle United’s only South Korean star
To find the only other South Korean player to represent Newcastle, one must go back to the 2010s, when Rafa Benitez was manager.
Normally referred to as “Ki”, he joined the Magpies in 2018 following his release from Swansea City. His signing meant he reunited with former Swansea midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, who joined Newcastle in 2016.
Unfortunately, Ki’s time on Tyneside was full of injury and inconsistency. He was replaced in the starting XI by a young Sean Longstaff, who had impressed in his absence. Ki finished that season with just 18 Premier League appearances for the Magpies, and things would only go downhill from there after Benitez left and was replaced by Steve Bruce.
Ki was given very few chances to play under Bruce, making just three league appearances. His final game for the Magpies was an FA Cup clash against Rochdale, a 1-1 draw.
At the end of the January 2020 transfer window, it was announced that Ki had left Newcastle by mutual consent.
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What happened to Ki Sung-Yueng after he left Newcastle United?
It only took five weeks for the South Korean star to find a new club after leaving Newcastle, it was announced that Ki had signed for La Liga side Mallorca on a short-term deal. However, the COVID-19 pandemic struck and the league was suspended.
Just as the league was about to return, Ki picked up an ankle injury and was unable to train. His contract was terminated just a few days before its expiry, having made one appearance.
| Newcastle United statistics | Ki Sung-Yueng |
| Appearances | 23 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 1 |
Since July 2020, Ki has played for K-League side FC Seoul and was promoted captain during the 2021 campaign. Now 36, it looks like Ki will spend the remainder of his career in his home country, having put in a respectable 11-year shift in the Premier League and Europe.
With Newcastle close to signing Park Seung-soo, fans will be eager to see him play for the first time in the future, but the plan will likely be to loan him out for his first season at the club.
Ki was a history maker at Newcastle by becoming the first South Korean star to play for the club. Park Seung-soo now has his own opportunity to make a name for himself on Tyneside.
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