How a goalkeeper from South Korea landed with D.C. United

Washington Post

13-02-2025

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — D.C. United's decision on whether to pursue South Korean goalkeeper Kim Joon Hong this winter involved factors well beyond shot-stopping ability.
Club officials needed to take into account Kim's age (21); language barriers (he speaks little English); and cultural differences (he had never lived outside South Korea or visited the United States).
'All these things weigh into the conversation,' goalkeeper coach Cody Mizell said this week.
During a scouting mission to South Korea in December, Mizell and United got their answers. Aside from playing at a level belying his age, Kim expressed through an interpreter his excitement about moving abroad. In those conversations over dinner, he also displayed a degree of maturity that promised to ease his transition.
United was sold on him, and once a transfer deal was struck with Kim's club, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, the 6-foot-2 goalkeeper and the MLS team embarked on an adventure into the great unknown.
'It's my first season playing outside the [South Korean] league, so I do have my worries,' Kim said through an interpreter. 'But at the same time, it's more excitement than butterflies, and I'm confident I am going to do well this season.'
United's confidence in Kim is so high that, from all indications, it is preparing to award him the starting job for the Feb. 22 opener against Toronto FC at Audi Field. Coach Troy Lesesne has not announced his decision, but through the first four games of the five-game preseason schedule, Kim has started three. He did not play in Wednesday's loss to Nashville SC but seems certain to start Saturday against the Houston Dynamo.
'I want to make sure that when that decision is made, he's earned it and it's the right decision for him,' Lesesne said of the Feb. 22 assignment. 'There's just a lot to put on a young kid's plate in that position. It's a lot, but he can handle it.'
The other options are Luis Barraza, a winter acquisition from New York City FC who made his first preseason appearance Wednesday after overcoming a minor knee injury, and Jordan Farr, acquired from second-division Tampa Bay.
United had cut ties with all four keepers from the 2024 squad.
What impressed United about Kim: not only his command of the penalty area and his capacity for big saves but his footwork and distribution. His ceiling is high, team officials said.
'For a guy of his age to do it over and over consistently, and the range of passing over distance, it's one of the best I've ever seen,' Mizell said.
Kim is aiming to continue his ascent after four years in the South Korean league. When he heard about United's interest, 'I was swayed immediately,' he said. 'The idea of playing in the States was very intriguing, and I learned more about it. The World Cup being here in 2026 is another big factor.'
Kim appears on the pathway to the World Cup. Since his heroics at the 2023 Under-20 World Cup in Argentina, where South Korea reached the semifinals, he has received several call-ups — though no playing time — for a national team that has qualified for every World Cup since 1986. With the field expanded to 48 teams from 32, South Korea is almost a shoo-in.
Kim's father was a pro goalkeeper, as well. Kim Lee Sup never made it to the national team but did enjoy a long career in the South Korean league and, for many years, has worked as a goalkeeper coach on that domestic circuit.
'I actually started playing soccer because of my dad and became a goalie because of my dad,' Kim Joon Hong said. 'As a kid, going to my dad's matches, rather than enjoying watching the strikers or players score goals, I was fascinated with the goalkeeper stopping goals.'
Kim calls his father every night.
'He will ask me how I practiced and, if there are things that don't go well, he will give advice,' Kim said. 'But my dad has always been respectful of boundaries and what the goalkeeper coaches here are teaching. It's more about his experience that is very impactful.'
Recognizing Kim's need for transitional support, United hired a full-time interpreter: Jisung Kim, a St. Louis native who graduated from American University last year. Aside from speaking Korean, he appealed to United through his knowledge of South Korean soccer — and of the goalkeeper.
Kim Joon Hong is eager to learn English and, at training camp, is making strides. Right away, Mizell worked with Jisung Kim on commands in English for the goalkeeper to learn.
'The second day,' Mizell said, 'he was using them on the pitch.'
Still, an interpreter is helping to strengthen communication with teammates on and off the field and ease the cultural transition. During practice, Jisung Kim, in team apparel, is close by.
'They did teach English in [my South Korean] school,' Kim Joon Hong said through his interpreter, 'but I admit I wasn't the best learner.'
Kim is among four players from South Korea in MLS this season and among eight to play in the league over the past 22 years.
Lesesne said: 'Little by little, [Kim's English] is coming along. That's good, and obviously we have Jisung, and Jisung is amazing.'
Since arriving in the United States last month, Kim Joon Hong has spent most of his time in Florida.
'Nice weather,' he said in English.
Where did he choose to live in the Washington area?
'Arlington,' he said in English.
That's not near Annandale, the heart of the D.C. area's Korean American community, which is the third largest in the United States. Kim said he wants to step out of his comfort zone. When he began seeking a home, he looked near United's training center in Leesburg.
'We told him there's not much out there,' center back Lucas Bartlett said, laughing. 'He was like, 'Wait, I'm just going to play Topgolf all day?' He had no idea. I think he is now looking forward to seeing the city more and exploring the U.S.'