He is considered one of the most promising players of his generation in South Korea, regarding his versatility (mainly used as a right-back, he can also play as a left-back, a wing-back or a midfielder), his pace, his technique and his work rate.[2][3]
Club career
The beginnings
A product of K League 1Ulsan Hyundai's academy and a graduate from Yonsei University, in 2020 he moved to Ulsan's senior team, after his performances for the national youth teams gained the attention of scouts from several European clubs.[2] However, as the "Horangi" could already count on more experienced players such as Park Joo-ho (on the left side) and Kim Tae-hwan (on the right), Choi was soon loaned to K League 2 side Gyeongnam, where he consequently played his first professional season.[3]
Gyeongnam
He made his professional debut on July 1, 2020, playing the entirety of a Korean FA Cup match against Jeonnam Dragons, with his side eventually suffering a 4–0 away loss. Being at the start of his senior career, Choi initially had mixed fortunes in Changwon, registering two assists but also five yellow cards in his first ten matches with Gyeongnam.[3] However, as the season progressed he was praised for showing a hard-working attitude and a good chemistry with his team-mates on the right wing (alternatively, Ko Kyung-min or Negueba).[3] On October 25, 2020, he registered his first goal ever, by netting the winner in a 4–3 away win against Bucheon FC 1995.[3]
As Gyeongnam gained a spot in the promotion play-offs, Choi had the opportunity to take part in two more matches: a 1–1 draw against Daejeon Hana Citizen (Gyeongnam advanced to the following round due to a better placement in the regular league table) and the final against Suwon FC. In this occasion, Choi scored the opening goal of the match, but then An Byong-jun equalized, scoring a penalty kick in the final moments of injury time and giving Suwon the promotion to K League 1, again due to better placement.[3]
Choi closed his experience in Changwon having registered 20 league appearances and two goals.[citation needed]
In 2018, he took part both in the Toulon Tournament, where the South Korean selection was eliminated in the group stage,[6] and the AFC Under-19 Championship, where his side reached the final before losing 1–2 to eventual winners Saudi Arabia.[7]
In 2019, he was selected by head coach Chung Jung-yong to take part in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland, being one of the only two players in South Korea's 21-men list (together with Jeong Ho-jin) who hadn't started their senior career, yet. Used as a left-back,[2] he played every match of his side, assisting Oh Se-hun's winner against Japan in the round of 16 and scoring, in order, one penalty in South Korea's successful shoot-out against Senegal (in the quarter-finals) and the only goal of the victory against Ecuador in the semi-finals.[8][9][10] As a result, he played a considerable role in the Taeguk Warriors' road to the tournament's final, then lost to Ukraine with the score of 3–1.[2][11]
^ abMarcantonio, Tomas. "Busan IPark - Transfer Updates". K League United | South Korean football news, opinions, match previews and score predictions. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
^ abcdefEdrupt, James. "2020 Season Review: Gyeongnam FC". K League United | South Korean football news, opinions, match previews and score predictions. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
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