(LEAD) Park Ji-sung, Ji So-yun named S. Korea's footballers of 2010

(ATTN: UPDATES with winners' comments; FIXES runner-up in men's voting in para 7)
SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Yonhap) -- Park Ji-sung of Manchester United in England and Ji
So-yun of Kobe INAC in the top Japanese women's league were voted South Korea's
football players of the year on Thursday.
In the vote by football journalists and technical officials at the Korea Football
Association (KFA), Park won the honors on the men's side, having captained South
Korea to the second round at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa this past June.
It was the country's first appearance in the knockout stage at a World Cup held
away from home.
Park also set his career high with six goals in the English Premier League this
season. It's also the record total by a South Korean player in an English season.
Ji was recognized among female footballers for leading the country to a
third-place finish at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in August. Ji scored a
team-high eight goals, the second most in the tournament, and was second in the
voting for the tournament's most valuable player (MVP) honors. She signed with
the Kobe team earlier this month.
"I am really grateful for such a great honor," Ji said. "The year 2010 has been a
year of women's football. Personally, it was also a significant year because I
was able to showcase my talent. I will keep trying to contribute to the
development of women's football."



The KFA's player of the year honors were revived this year for the first time
since 1983, when the newly founded Korean professional circuit, K-League, started
awarding annual MVP awards.
In the men's voting, Lee Chung-yong, midfielder for Bolton Wanderers in the
Premier League, was the runner-up. Yeo Min-ji, who helped South Korea win the
FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup while winning the tournament MVP and scoring title,
was second behind Ji on the women's side.
Three national team head coaches received special contribution awards for their
success in FIFA competitions. Huh Jung-moo coached the senior men's team at the
World Cup in South Africa. Choi In-cheul and Choi Duck-joo guided the women's
U-20 and U-17 squads, respectively.
"This was a meaningful year for Korean football," Huh said. "What's more
important that reaching the Round of 16 is that our players were not intimidated
on the road and they played with confidence. It laid the groundwork for the
future, and it told us in which direction South Korean football should go from
here."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)

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