Beautiful Retirement of Hwang Sun-hong and Hong Myong-bo

How time "has flied! " For a period longer than a decade, they have represented their country, as Taekuk Fighters, on the ground.

It`s about Hwang Sun-hong (34, Chunam Dragons) and Hong Myung-bo (33, Pohang Steelers). Two stars of the Korean soccer wrapped up their careers as national representatives in yesterday`s friendly A match between Korea and Brazil. What they have achieved so far did not let them feel lonely: four consecutive participations in the World Cup and contribution to Korea`s advance to the semifinal in the last World Cup.

Prior to the beginning of the game, they said, "We`d like to wrap up our Taekuk career with excellent performance on the ground. We really appreciate the fact that we could gloriously leave the ground like this. We will show our best to the very last moment."

Hwang was not in top condition due to the injury to the Achilles` tendon of his right leg. Nonetheless, he led the team and burned up all the energy in him. Hong, wearing the captain`s band on his left arm, teamed up with Choi Jin-cheol and Kim Tae-young, the two players with whom Hong made the unbreakable defense line during last World Cup.

Hwang and Hong are the eyewitnesses to the Korean soccer history. Hwang Sun-hong first joined the national team in December, 1988 for the Asian Cup. Prior to the game against Brazil, he has recorded 50 goals in 102 A matches, just below Cha Bum-geun (55 goals). Out of the 50, most impressive was the first goal in the first game in the Korea Japan World Cup against Poland.

Hong made his debut as a national team member in the friendly match against Norway that took place on Feb. 4th, 1990. So far, he has participated in 135 A matches (9 goals), the highest number among Korean players. Koreans still remember the shining smile of Hong running on the ground, right after making the game-winning penalty shoot against Spain in the quarterfinal in the last World Cup.

For more than 10 years, Hwang and Hong played together on the national team, running in 71 A matches together. They left a joint record of 27 wins, 27 ties and 17 losses. From 1993 to 1997, they even worked together in the Steelers.

But this is not the end of their life. It just means another start for them. Hong will join LA Galaxies next year. For the two years to come, he plans to play in the team, while learning English. Then, he will retire and study in the United States and Britain to turn himself into a coach.

On the other hand, Hwang has just come back to his team Chunnam from the Japan pro league. For some time to come, he will stay with Chunnam. But he also plans to play in the US league.

Jong-Seok Kim kjs0123@donga.com