Kim Ki-hee (35, Ulsan HD) is a “winning contractor.”
Kim Ki-hee has lifted the trophy for each team he played for. At Jeonbuk Hyundai, he has lifted the K-League 1 trophy twice. At Shanghai Shenhua, the Chinese Super League, he won the FA Cup. When he was with the Seattle Sounders of the U.S. Major League Soccer, he also won the Cup championship. At Ulsan, he had two K-League 1 championships and an unbeaten AFC Champions League championship.
Kim is aiming to win the K-League 1 and the Korea Cup this season. Kim Ki-hee is participating in 18 K-League 1 matches this season. Kim Ki-hee has shown steady performance and is contributing to the team’s challenge to win the title.
Ulsan will also participate in the FIFA Club World Cup next year.
The Club World Cup is the first event in which 32 teams participated in the event to make massive changes. Kim expressed his disappointment while expressing his expectation for the Club World Cup. Why is this? We have heard from Kim Ki-hee.
Q. How did you spend your A match break in October.
Fewer players headed for the national team than before. It was the first time in a while that he trained normally during the A-match break. He strived to enhance the completeness of soccer that head coach Kim Pan-gon wants to implement. It was an A-match break in October, which was very helpful as most of the players participated in team training.
Q. Ulsan needs to play the AFC Champions League elite (ACLE). Ulsan lost both of its ACLE matches in the 2024-25 season. Ulsan will play the third ACLE match against Vissel Kobe on Sunday after finishing its business trip to Gimcheon on Wednesday.
We are a team that aims to win every season. If there is no pressure, it would be a lie. It is true that when playing at home, the grass condition is not good, so there are difficulties. However, we are professionals. We have to work hard to show good performance in any situation. I think the most important thing now is the K League 1. We will make sure to win the match against Gimcheon and thoroughly prepare for the match against Vissel Kobe. Since ACLE is in the beginning, we can rise well.
Q: Ulsan is challenging itself to win its third consecutive K League 1 title. It is challenged by all the teams in Final A including Gimcheon. Do you have any pressure or difficulties.
“I was on the winning team all the time when I was an athlete. I am used to being challenged. One thing I’m sad about is that people don’t really applaud the winning team. When we won the championship, only my family and our team members applauded. They were the coaching staff, colleagues, front desk and fans who sweated together. It seems that it is hard to receive sincere applause from others.
Q. When did you feel that way too much.
Aren’t we the team that is trying to win the K League 1 title for the third consecutive time? Ulsan is a team that prides itself on itself as a “defending champion.” It is not complacent but confident in every game. But our fans didn’t really mention the word “winning.” They jokingly call the team “that.” We are a team that proved enough in the K League 1. I hope the fans proudly bring up the word “winning.” We are the strongest team in the K League 1.
Q: Ulsan is the team closest to winning the K-League 1 title again this season. If it secures its first Final A match, it will bring it closer to winning its third consecutive K-League 1 title.
He has been working at Ulsan for five years. The coaches tried to change many things. The coaches instilled in them the perception that “we are strong.” No matter what team they face, they have confidence that “we will win.” Players also have a growing sense of responsibility to perform well and produce results that meet fans’ expectations.
For example, I am a defender. In every game, I play with the mindset that if I get a hole here, I will be pushed out of the competition to become a starting member. I carefully touch and pass each ball. As we are the winning team, fans’ interest in us has increased significantly. We had a time when we had no choice but to increase our sense of responsibility.
Q: With Ulsan’s good performances, the number of its fans has increased dramatically. Ulsan has surpassed 300,000 spectators at its home for two consecutive seasons. At 17 home games in the league this season, the team attracted an average of 18,593 spectators per game (316,081 in total). Among the K League 1 and 225 clubs, FC Seoul (average of 27,152) is the only club that has more spectators at home than Ulsan. I think he has played for Ulsan for five years now. How do you feel that the number of fans is increasing.
I think simply. Spectators are proportional to our competitiveness. The number of fans increases as we become stronger. No matter how many star players we have, fans don’t go to the soccer field if the game is boring. No matter how good their performance is, they don’t go to the stadium if they lose every game. Who would want to watch a game where they lose every time and money.
We try to build as many wins as possible. Now, we are going to show you more aggressive and proactive soccer than before. I think the fans are supporting us more because they know these efforts. The more fans we have, the more focused we have and the more responsibilities we have. When we play in front of many fans, we often have abilities that we did not know about. We will sweat more so that more fans can find the stadium.
Q. Kim Ki-hee has also won championships in Jeonbuk, Shanghai and Seattle. For Ulsan, he experienced two consecutive K-League 1 championships and an undefeated ACL championship. He is aiming at winning the K-League 1 and the Korea Cup this year. Do you have any tips to stay competitive with the best team.
Since childhood, he played for the national team. When he was young, his biggest motivation was the national team. Some years have passed. He is already a veteran. He still dreams of becoming a member of the national team in his heart, but he knows it is difficult to achieve realistically. He still has that dream, but that is not his motivation.
I have won in many teams. There have always been a lot of national team players in the team I have been involved in. I am not a player who gets a lot of attention. However, I have to keep sweating to keep up with the top players in the league. I try to pour everything out from the training ground. I am never satisfied with myself. I keep whipping, and I try to make up for my shortcomings and make use of my strengths.
Q: Even now, Ulsan has many outstanding players. This is why a player cannot play all the games, including the K-League 1 and the ACLE. Rotation is essential. Do you feel sorry when you can’t play games.
Until I was 30, I was like that. I wanted to play in every game. It was a shame that I could not participate in any games. I thought to myself, “Why did I miss the roster?” If I felt that way several times, I would agonize over transferring to another team. After moving to Ulsan, I have adapted to the sport of rotation. In my 30s, I think I let go a little bit (laughs). Then, I came to understand soccer and team more.
Q. Since it’s a soccer team. Can you be more specific.
All coaches emphasize “one team.” When I was young, I didn’t feel as strong as I do now. To be honest, I wanted to play overseas as soon as possible by showing good performance in my team. Didn’t I experience many leagues? There are quite a few players in the championship team whose priority is individual players. That’s because I did that.
But now that I am in my 30s and have more experience, I can see why the coaches emphasized “one team.” A team that wins any league in the world has a talented player. However, that player’s talent alone cannot win the title. Someone makes the merits of someone whose talent is out of sight shine even more. Then, they become more united. When they come together, the team becomes stronger. This is the case with Ulsan.
Q: Have you played in many leagues including Qatar, China and the U.S.? How did this experience affect Kim Ki-hee’s soccer career.
My dream of entering Europe, which many fans watch, didn’t come true. However, I learned a lot from playing in many leagues. The biggest thing I felt was that soccer is similar everywhere. There may be some cultural differences, but the fact that soccer is a team sport never changes. Soccer is the game in which a team is united to win. Personally, I felt a lot in the U.S.
Q. Tell me more about your Seattle days.
It was a time when I grew up to be a more mature adult. I learned from the thoughts and level of consciousness of the American people. I was also very surprised by the popularity of soccer in the U.S. The average home crowd was more than 20,000. On weekends, more than 40,000 people usually visit the stadium. More than is known in Korea, the popularity of professional soccer in the U.S. is great. Playing on such a stage itself was a great experience.
Q. I’m going to the U.S. next year wearing an Ulsan uniform.
I really want to say this. Ulsan is participating in the Club World Cup on behalf of Korea. However, the media and fans seem to have mentioned too little (laughs). The U.S. is constantly keeping an eye on Seattle news. The U.S. is promoting the Club World Cup a lot. It already feels like a festival. Not long ago, FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited the U.S. to promote the Club World Cup. I think many Koreans don’t know what the Club World Cup is. 먹튀검증
Q. How much are the players looking forward to the Club World Cup.
This is a competition that I really want to participate in. The Club World Cup will turn into a huge competition starting next year. It has also turned into a competition that takes place every four years. This is an opportunity to compete with the world’s best clubs and players. I don’t want to miss it. It is a competition that all players have high expectations for.
Q. He has been playing for Ulsan for five years as a “winning contractor.” What kind of player do you want to be remembered as in Ulsan after 10 years.
I don’t know when I will leave Ulsan (laughs). Someday that day will come. It’s been a while since I got older and became distant from the national team. However, I am still playing in the strongest team in the K League 1. I am constantly receiving opportunities to play in Ulsan. Even so, I will not be remembered as a “special player.” I know that.
“I can say this with confidence. I have never done my best when I entered the stadium. I put everything into it every moment. Fans may remember me when I was in poor performance. However, I can say with confidence that I did my best that day. When asked what kind of player Kim Ki-hee is 10 years later, I would be happy to hear the answer, “It was really good to see him always doing his best when he entered the stadium.”
