Huh Jung-moo (; born 13 January 1955) is a former

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player and manager.

Playing career

Huh was one of the best South Korean college footballers before starting his semi-professional career. He was often compared with

Korea University Korea University (KU, ) is a Private university, private research university in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1905 by Yi Yong-ik, Lee Yong-Ik, a prominent official of the Korean Empire, Korea University is among South Korea's oldest List of ...

's Cha Bum-kun while playing for

Yonsei University Yonsei University () is a Private university, private Christian university, Christian research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Yonsei is one of the three most prestigious universities in the country, part of a group referred to as SK ...

. After his graduation, he joined Korea Electric Power FC, and simultaneously enlisted in

Marine Corps Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included raiding ashore (often in supp ...

and Navy FC to do mandatory military service. When Huh was discharged from the military service, European clubs were interested in Asian players due to Cha Bum-kun's performance in the

Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...

. Motivated by Cha, Huh also wanted to play for a European club, joining

Eredivisie The Eredivisie (; "Honour Division" or "Premier Division") is a professional association football league in the Netherlands and the highest level of the Dutch football league system. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start o ...

side

PSV Eindhoven Philips Sport Vereniging (; ), abbreviated as PSV and internationally known as PSV Eindhoven (), is a Dutch sports club from Eindhoven, Netherlands. It is best known for its professional association football, football department, which has pla ...

in August 1980. He mainly played as a defensive midfielder and showed impressive form for three years.

Johan Cruyff Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (25 April 1947 – 24 March 2016), internationally known as Johan Cruyff (), was a Dutch professional Association football, football player and Manager (association football), manager. Regarded as one of the greatest ...

, who was tired from Huh's active marking, broke Huh's nose with his arm, and

Willem van Hanegem Willem "Wim" van Hanegem (; born 20 February 1944) is a Dutch former Association football, football player and coach who played as a midfielder. In a playing career spanning over 20 years, he won several domestic honours in the Netherlands, as ...

showed a hysteria to Huh with the racist gesture "Slant-eye". Huh went back to South Korea after the 1982–83 season. His wife felt homesick, and he also didn't feel the need to continue his life abroad after hearing the news that a professional league was founded in his country. Huh joined Hyundai Horang-i as a founding member in 1984, and played for it for three years. Huh was on the South Korea national team from 1974 to 1986, and won two gold medals in the

Asian Games The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years for athletes of Asia. The Games were regulated by Asian Games Federation from the 1951 Asian Games, first Games in New Delhi, India in 1951, until ...

. He was also a member of Korean squad in the

1986 FIFA World Cup The 1986 FIFA World Cup was the 13th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial Association football, football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was played in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June 1986. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-tea ...

. In a group match against

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

, he left a famous photo that he appeared to be kicking

Diego Maradona Diego Armando Maradona Franco (30 October 196025 November 2020) was an Argentine professional association football, football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two ...

whose face twisted with pain. Afterwards, he scored a goal against

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Style of play

Huh was a versatile player, and could play in multiple positions. He was capable of playing as a striker, winger,

attacking midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

defensive midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

, or full-back. He covered great distance by utilising his competitive spirit and stamina. Because of his tough and energetic playing style, he was nicknamed " Jindogae", the hunter dog breed originated from his hometown Jindo Island. He was also adept at man marking and often duelled with

in De Topper. He didn't have rapid pace, but he could dribble the ball with intelligent movement.

Managerial career

Huh won the 1993 Korean League Cup with POSCO Atoms and the 1997 Korean FA Cup with Jeonnam Dragons before becoming permanent manager of South Korea national team in 1998. At the national team, Huh picked some nameless young players and gave them important positions instead of established stars. His team was eliminated in the Asian Games quarter-finals and the CONCACAF Gold Cup group stage. His decision was not followed by good results at major competitions, inviting harsh criticism. After finishing third at the

2000 AFC Asian Cup The 2000 AFC Asian Cup was the 12th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held in Lebanon between 12 and 29 October 2000. Japan def ...

, he was replaced by

Guus Hiddink Guus Hiddink (; born 8 November 1946) is a Dutch former football manager and professional player. He enjoyed a long career playing as a midfielder in his native Netherlands. Retired as player in 1982, Hiddink went into management, leading both c ...

. Since Hiddink's incredible success in the

2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea/Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...

Korea Football Association The Korea Football Association () is the governing body of football and futsal within South Korea. It sanctions professional, semi-professional and amateur football in South Korea. Founded in 1933, the governing body became affiliated with ...

(KFA) began hiring foreign managers, including

Humberto Coelho Humberto Manuel de Jesus Coelho (born 20 April 1950) is a Portuguese retired footballer and manager. In a career mainly associated with Benfica, the central defender also competed professionally in France and the United States, during a 16- ...

, Jo Bonfrere,

Dick Advocaat Dirk Nicolaas "Dick" Advocaat (; born 27 September 1947) is a Dutch former association football, football player and coach. He is currently the manager of the Curaçao national football team. Advocaat was successful as a football player and as a ...

, and

Pim Verbeek Peter Tim Dirk "Pim" Verbeek (12 March 1956 – 28 November 2019) was a Dutch football manager who last coached the Oman national football team. Playing career As a player, Verbeek was a defender or a midfielder and spent his entire career at S ...

, but they failed to match Hiddink's success. Meanwhile, the nameless players picked by Huh became key players at the national team, especially

Park Ji-sung Park Ji-sung (; born 30 March 1981) is a South Korean former professional association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in the South Korean capital Seoul, Park is regarded as one of the greatest and most successful Asian pe ...

and Lee Young-pyo who settled at the

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

. The success of Huh's former apprentices in addition to his two victories with Jeonnam Dragons at the

Korean FA Cup The Korea Cup (), formerly the Korean FA Cup, is a national Association football, football cup knockout competition of South Korea, held annually by the Korea Football Association (KFA). Before the competition was established in 1996, two simil ...

made him revalued as a candidate for the national team manager. Huh was appointed for the second time in December 2007 after leading candidates

Mick McCarthy Michael Joseph McCarthy (born 7 February 1959) is a professional Manager (association football), football manager, pundit and former Association football, footballer. He was most recently the head coach of Blackpool F.C., Blackpool. McCarthy b ...

and

Gérard Houllier Gérard Paul Francis Houllier (; 3 September 194714 December 2020) was a French professional football manager and player. Clubs he managed include Paris Saint-Germain, Lens and Liverpool, where he won the FA Cup, League Cup, FA Charity Shield, ...

both rejected the job. Huh got the team qualified for the

2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...

without a loss at the qualifiers. In November 2009, he was named the AFC Coach of the Year after leading the national team to a 27-match unbeaten run. His team also advanced to the knockout stage at the 2010 World Cup. In March 2013, Huh was appointed KFA's vice-president by president Chung Mong-gyu. On 10 July 2014, due to the national team's poor performance without a win at the

2014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for list of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil fr ...

, he resigned from the association along with national team manager Hong Myung-bo. After working as chairman of Daejeon Hana Citizen from 2020 to 2023, Huh ran for KFA president in November 2024. He was one of three candidates along with existing president Chung Mong-gyu and another challenger Shin Moon-seon, and lost to Chung in the election in February 2025.

Career statistics

Club

International

:''Results list South Korea's goal tally first.''

Honours

Player

Yonsei University * Korean National Championship runner-up: 1974 ROK Navy * Korean President's Cup: 1979 Hyundai Horang-i *

Korean League Cup The Korean League Cup was a professional football competition in South Korean football. It was held by the K League Federation from 1986 to 2012. Sponsorship Results Finals Titles by club K League's principle of official statistics is tha ...

: 1986 South Korea U20 * AFC Youth Championship third place:

1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...

South Korea *

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

, 1986 Individual * Korean National Championship top goalscorer: 1974 * Korean FA Best XI: 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1986 * Korean President's Cup Best Player: 1979 * Korean FA Most Valuable Player: 1984 * K League 1 Best XI:

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

* K League '80s All-Star Team: 2003

Manager

POSCO Atoms *

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

Jeonnam Dragons *

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

runner-up:

South Korea *

AFC Asian Cup The AFC Asian Cup is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), determining the continental champion of Asia. It is the second-oldest c ...

third place:

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

* EAFF Championship:

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

Individual * K League All-Star: 1995, 2005, 2006 *

Best Manager:

* AFC Coach of the Year: 2009

References

External links

*
Huh Jung-moo – National Team Stats
at KFA * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Huh, Jung-Moo 1955 births Living people Men's association football midfielders South Korean men's footballers South Korean expatriate men's footballers South Korea men's international footballers South Korean football managers PSV Eindhoven players Ulsan HD FC players Eredivisie players K League 1 players Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands South Korean expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands 1984 AFC Asian Cup players 1986 FIFA World Cup players 2000 AFC Asian Cup managers 2010 FIFA World Cup managers South Korea national football team managers Pohang Steelers managers Jeonnam Dragons managers Incheon United FC managers Footballers from South Jeolla Province People from Jindo County Yonsei University alumni Asian Games medalists in football Footballers at the 1978 Asian Games Footballers at the 1986 Asian Games Asian Games gold medalists for South Korea Medalists at the 1978 Asian Games Medalists at the 1986 Asian Games Republic of Korea Marine Corps personnel Yangcheon Heo clan 20th-century South Korean sportsmen