Team Korea wants to prove its strength
In January of 1928 ice hockey was introduced to Korea for the first time in history when the Kyung-sung Imperial University (now known as the Seoul University) played an exhibition game against Tokyo University who were invited from Japan. However, ice hockey teams in Korea did mostly consist of Japanese players until Yun-hee College (now known as Yonsei University) built a Korean based hockey team in late 1930.
Two years after Korea declared independence from the Japanese Government, a Korean ice hockey federation started functioning in 1947. But, Korean hockey development had been slowed down due to the Korean War and various industrial activities all over the country. Entering the 1970’s the Korean national team finally took part in ’79 World Championships held in Spain. It was their first international hockey they ever participated in.
This year, Korea has advanced to Division 1 for the first time in Korean hockey history, and they look forward to stepping up to the next level. Korea has a quite unique international record in having beaten Thailand by 92 to 0 in the ’98 Asian Oceanic tournament. The biggest victory ever!
In 2001, Korea participated in WC Division 2, Group A along with Spain, Australia, South Africa, Iceland and New Zealand. Korea totally dominated their opponents outscoring them by 42 to 5 and they remained undefeated. In the final game against the heavily favored Spain, Korea won the most important game in the tournament. Kyung-tae Kim’s heroic 2 straight goals nearly 1 minute left from the final buzzer resulted in the final score to become 3 to 2 and history was written in Korean hockey.
For the ’02 WC Far East Qualification, Korea sent out the 2001 Korean league champion Hyundai Oilbankers team to represent the country. 24-year-old goalie Sung-min Kim was absolutely grabbing the headlines during the tournament. Kim faced a total of 141 shots in the two games (71 against Japan, 70 against China) and stopped a massive 140 of them. This gave him the incredible save% record of .993%. Korea shocked the hockey world by tying both games, mainly thanks to Kim’s performance, and grabbed the second place. After the qualification tournament, Korea could advance to Division 1 in ’02 WC.
Key players
Korea is yet to announce the team roster for WC. However, it is very likely to collect the best players for the team unlike the qualification games. These are a few strong candidates who should be in the roster.
Forwards
Dong-hwan Song (Center, 175cm/75kg, Born in 1979, Dongwon Dreams)
2001-2002 Korean Hockey League (KHL) regular season MVP. He was drafted by Dongwon Dreams as the first overall pick in 2002. He led Korea University to win the first place in the regular season by scoring 14 goals and 3 assists. Not many people argue about him becoming the best Korean hockey player in the near future. His great scoring touch makes him a natural gifted goal scorer. Song has Guinness record of scoring 31 goals in a single ice hockey game. He put the record when Korea beat Thailand by 92 to 0 in the ’98 Asian Oceanic tournament. On the other side Dong-hwan loses many physical battles due to his small frame. Once he gains more strength, he will be a lot more effective for sure.
Eui-sik Sim (Center, 174cm/76kg, Born in 1969, Halla Winia)
Sim has been the most famous ice hockey player in Korea for the last decade. He won the league MVP three years in a row (1996~1998). He has all the tools you could ask for an offensive forward. He also has a great work ethic which keeps him in shape for many years. However, his age is starting to bother him the last few years, but even with him having lost some speed he will still be a spiritual leader for the young Korean hockey team.
Han-sung Kim (Center, 184cm/84kg, Born in 1983, Korea Uni.)
One of the best college players in Korea. He won the best forward award in the 2001-2002 season. He was offered to join a tryout camp by a Japanese pro team, which is not a usual chance for Korean players. He has good speed and stickhandling for his decent size. Sometimes, he holds onto the puck too long and puts himself in trouble.
Kyung-tae Kim (Left wing, 177cm/78kg, Born in 1979, Hyundai Oilbankers)
During the 2001-2002 season, Kyung-tae Kim was known as ‘KU Big 3’ along with Dong-hwan Song and Han-sung Kim. He scored the heroic game-winning goal against Spain in the ’01 WC tournament. He is the best all-round player in Korea. His good skating and puck carrying abilities allow him to become a versatile player that can be used in any position beside goalie. He also displays an amazing work ethic on the ice.
Woo-sam Shin (Left wing, 173cm/75kg, Born in 1971, Dongwon Dreams)
Shin is a typical clutch goal scorer. He could be invisible all game long and kill the opponents with a couple of shots when the game is on the line. Despite having an average speed, he looks a lot faster than he actually is because of his anticipation and agility. He is a consistent point getter. His age has decreased his stamina the past few seasons though.
Jong-hoon Lee (Forward, 175cm/75kg, Born in 1973, Halla Winia)
Jong-hoon Lee won the award for most points in 2001-2002 KHL season. He plays consistently and has a good endurance. He also possesses good speed and a good passing touch, however, he needs to improve his agility and a get rid of his tunnel vision to become a better offensive player that can be a force internationally.
Ho-jung Lee (Forward, 170cm/70kg, Born in 1977, Halla Winia)
Ho-jung Lee is probably the most skilled player in Korea. Like the whirlwind Speedy Gonzalez, he could burn you with his blazing speed and dazzling moves that he possesses. However, if you can catch him, you would easily get him down on ice like a poor rat because of his tiny frame. Sometimes his game is too selfish and that makes his game ineffective.
Sang-woo Song (Center, 174cm/76kg, Born in 1977, Halla Winia)
Sang-woo Song won the 1999-2000 season MVP. He has a good vision on the ice, better than most other players in the league. His shooting is also impressive enough to surprise goalies occasionally. Last season, he has reported to the team out of shape. He needs to regain his shape to get his agility back.
Defensemen
Jong-moon Jang (185cm/92kg, Born in 1978, Hyundai Oilbankers)
The best defenseman in Korea. He has good skating, strong balance, reliable puck control, smart defensive positioning skills. Also he possesses a hard slap shot which is very effective during power plays. He is well-balanced both offensively and defensively. He will most likely be patrolling the blueline for the national team.
Woo-jae Kim (178cm/80kg, Born in 1979, Halla Winia)
Second overall pick after Dong-hwan Song this season. When Kim played for Yonsei University, his strength helped the team to play strong defensive games against much more experienced and aggressive teams. Lack of international game experience could be a concern though.
Min-hwan Paek (188cm/90kg, Born in 1977, Hyundai Oilbankers)
Min-hwan is a good physical defenseman that is paired with Jong-moon Jang on the Oilbankers’ first defensive unit. Although his strength won’t give him many problems comparing to other Korean players, his higher skating stance gives him weak balance and causes him to be knocked down easier than one would expect.
Sung-min Park (175cm/74kg, Born in 1975, Halla Winia)
Park is one of the best puck-carrying defenseman in Korea. With smooth skating and stickhandling, he can lead breakouts better than anyone else in Korea. He also has good vision to find the open men. This results in him having more than a handful of assists every season. Whether his small frame could be effective in international games or not still remains a big question.
Goaltender
Sung-bae Kim (173cm/80kg, Born in 1972, Halla Winia)
Sung-bae Kim, known as a clutch-time goaltender, won the 2001-2002 KHL Playoffs MVP honor by making clutch saves in several critical situations. He plays an aggressive angle style perfectly. He has pretty high panic point and likes to be involved in the game in as many ways as possible.
Sung-min Kim (170cm/75kg, Born in 1977, Hyundai Oilbankers)
If you have ever heard about a Korean hockey player recently, it would be Sung-min Kim for sure. He helped Korea to tie both games in the ’02 Far East Qualification event by saving 140 shots out of 141. As you can see with his incredible save number in the last international event, once he is on a roll, he looks nearly unbeatable against anybody in the world. Unfortunately, his game is so inconsistent. If he loses his confidence, you will see him allowing many soft goals.
Ho-sung Son (180cm/80kg, Born in 1982, Yonsei Uni.)
He was the best goalie in the 2001-2002 KHL season. Since his days in high school, he has caught many people’s attention and is expected to be the top goalie in Korea someday. Currently he is already one of the best goalies in Korea. He has a good size and his reflexes are above average. Yet, this young goalie still needs to work on his consistency and the way to communicate with the defensemen. There is no excuse to have a fight with one of his own defenseman during a game. The game was forfeited because of it.
In January of 1928 ice hockey was introduced to Korea for the first time in history when the Kyung-sung Imperial University (now known as the Seoul University) played an exhibition game against Tokyo University who were invited from Japan. However, ice hockey teams in Korea did mostly consist of Japanese players until Yun-hee College (now known as Yonsei University) built a Korean based hockey team in late 1930.
Two years after Korea declared independence from the Japanese Government, a Korean ice hockey federation started functioning in 1947. But, Korean hockey development had been slowed down due to the Korean War and various industrial activities all over the country. Entering the 1970’s the Korean national team finally took part in ’79 World Championships held in Spain. It was their first international hockey they ever participated in.
This year, Korea has advanced to Division 1 for the first time in Korean hockey history, and they look forward to stepping up to the next level. Korea has a quite unique international record in having beaten Thailand by 92 to 0 in the ’98 Asian Oceanic tournament. The biggest victory ever!
In 2001, Korea participated in WC Division 2, Group A along with Spain, Australia, South Africa, Iceland and New Zealand. Korea totally dominated their opponents outscoring them by 42 to 5 and they remained undefeated. In the final game against the heavily favored Spain, Korea won the most important game in the tournament. Kyung-tae Kim’s heroic 2 straight goals nearly 1 minute left from the final buzzer resulted in the final score to become 3 to 2 and history was written in Korean hockey.
For the ’02 WC Far East Qualification, Korea sent out the 2001 Korean league champion Hyundai Oilbankers team to represent the country. 24-year-old goalie Sung-min Kim was absolutely grabbing the headlines during the tournament. Kim faced a total of 141 shots in the two games (71 against Japan, 70 against China) and stopped a massive 140 of them. This gave him the incredible save% record of .993%. Korea shocked the hockey world by tying both games, mainly thanks to Kim’s performance, and grabbed the second place. After the qualification tournament, Korea could advance to Division 1 in ’02 WC.
Key players
Korea is yet to announce the team roster for WC. However, it is very likely to collect the best players for the team unlike the qualification games. These are a few strong candidates who should be in the roster.
Forwards
Dong-hwan Song (Center, 175cm/75kg, Born in 1979, Dongwon Dreams)
2001-2002 Korean Hockey League (KHL) regular season MVP. He was drafted by Dongwon Dreams as the first overall pick in 2002. He led Korea University to win the first place in the regular season by scoring 14 goals and 3 assists. Not many people argue about him becoming the best Korean hockey player in the near future. His great scoring touch makes him a natural gifted goal scorer. Song has Guinness record of scoring 31 goals in a single ice hockey game. He put the record when Korea beat Thailand by 92 to 0 in the ’98 Asian Oceanic tournament. On the other side Dong-hwan loses many physical battles due to his small frame. Once he gains more strength, he will be a lot more effective for sure.
Eui-sik Sim (Center, 174cm/76kg, Born in 1969, Halla Winia)
Sim has been the most famous ice hockey player in Korea for the last decade. He won the league MVP three years in a row (1996~1998). He has all the tools you could ask for an offensive forward. He also has a great work ethic which keeps him in shape for many years. However, his age is starting to bother him the last few years, but even with him having lost some speed he will still be a spiritual leader for the young Korean hockey team.
Han-sung Kim (Center, 184cm/84kg, Born in 1983, Korea Uni.)
One of the best college players in Korea. He won the best forward award in the 2001-2002 season. He was offered to join a tryout camp by a Japanese pro team, which is not a usual chance for Korean players. He has good speed and stickhandling for his decent size. Sometimes, he holds onto the puck too long and puts himself in trouble.
Kyung-tae Kim (Left wing, 177cm/78kg, Born in 1979, Hyundai Oilbankers)
During the 2001-2002 season, Kyung-tae Kim was known as ‘KU Big 3’ along with Dong-hwan Song and Han-sung Kim. He scored the heroic game-winning goal against Spain in the ’01 WC tournament. He is the best all-round player in Korea. His good skating and puck carrying abilities allow him to become a versatile player that can be used in any position beside goalie. He also displays an amazing work ethic on the ice.
Woo-sam Shin (Left wing, 173cm/75kg, Born in 1971, Dongwon Dreams)
Shin is a typical clutch goal scorer. He could be invisible all game long and kill the opponents with a couple of shots when the game is on the line. Despite having an average speed, he looks a lot faster than he actually is because of his anticipation and agility. He is a consistent point getter. His age has decreased his stamina the past few seasons though.
Jong-hoon Lee (Forward, 175cm/75kg, Born in 1973, Halla Winia)
Jong-hoon Lee won the award for most points in 2001-2002 KHL season. He plays consistently and has a good endurance. He also possesses good speed and a good passing touch, however, he needs to improve his agility and a get rid of his tunnel vision to become a better offensive player that can be a force internationally.
Ho-jung Lee (Forward, 170cm/70kg, Born in 1977, Halla Winia)
Ho-jung Lee is probably the most skilled player in Korea. Like the whirlwind Speedy Gonzalez, he could burn you with his blazing speed and dazzling moves that he possesses. However, if you can catch him, you would easily get him down on ice like a poor rat because of his tiny frame. Sometimes his game is too selfish and that makes his game ineffective.
Sang-woo Song (Center, 174cm/76kg, Born in 1977, Halla Winia)
Sang-woo Song won the 1999-2000 season MVP. He has a good vision on the ice, better than most other players in the league. His shooting is also impressive enough to surprise goalies occasionally. Last season, he has reported to the team out of shape. He needs to regain his shape to get his agility back.
Defensemen
Jong-moon Jang (185cm/92kg, Born in 1978, Hyundai Oilbankers)
The best defenseman in Korea. He has good skating, strong balance, reliable puck control, smart defensive positioning skills. Also he possesses a hard slap shot which is very effective during power plays. He is well-balanced both offensively and defensively. He will most likely be patrolling the blueline for the national team.
Woo-jae Kim (178cm/80kg, Born in 1979, Halla Winia)
Second overall pick after Dong-hwan Song this season. When Kim played for Yonsei University, his strength helped the team to play strong defensive games against much more experienced and aggressive teams. Lack of international game experience could be a concern though.
Min-hwan Paek (188cm/90kg, Born in 1977, Hyundai Oilbankers)
Min-hwan is a good physical defenseman that is paired with Jong-moon Jang on the Oilbankers’ first defensive unit. Although his strength won’t give him many problems comparing to other Korean players, his higher skating stance gives him weak balance and causes him to be knocked down easier than one would expect.
Sung-min Park (175cm/74kg, Born in 1975, Halla Winia)
Park is one of the best puck-carrying defenseman in Korea. With smooth skating and stickhandling, he can lead breakouts better than anyone else in Korea. He also has good vision to find the open men. This results in him having more than a handful of assists every season. Whether his small frame could be effective in international games or not still remains a big question.
Goaltender
Sung-bae Kim (173cm/80kg, Born in 1972, Halla Winia)
Sung-bae Kim, known as a clutch-time goaltender, won the 2001-2002 KHL Playoffs MVP honor by making clutch saves in several critical situations. He plays an aggressive angle style perfectly. He has pretty high panic point and likes to be involved in the game in as many ways as possible.
Sung-min Kim (170cm/75kg, Born in 1977, Hyundai Oilbankers)
If you have ever heard about a Korean hockey player recently, it would be Sung-min Kim for sure. He helped Korea to tie both games in the ’02 Far East Qualification event by saving 140 shots out of 141. As you can see with his incredible save number in the last international event, once he is on a roll, he looks nearly unbeatable against anybody in the world. Unfortunately, his game is so inconsistent. If he loses his confidence, you will see him allowing many soft goals.
Ho-sung Son (180cm/80kg, Born in 1982, Yonsei Uni.)
He was the best goalie in the 2001-2002 KHL season. Since his days in high school, he has caught many people’s attention and is expected to be the top goalie in Korea someday. Currently he is already one of the best goalies in Korea. He has a good size and his reflexes are above average. Yet, this young goalie still needs to work on his consistency and the way to communicate with the defensemen. There is no excuse to have a fight with one of his own defenseman during a game. The game was forfeited because of it.