Hwang In-Beom’s first foray into American football was not a happy one. He was eager to play in Hamburg, but was injured in Vancouver after a self-immolation on a floor.
The 29-year-old had a good start to the 2026 World Cup, however, as he scored to equalize against Zeke and then set up the winner as Korea Republic won 2-1.
There were celebrations in various corners of the world – Seoul, of course, but also Feyenoord in the Netherlands, his most recent club, and Russia-Serbia-Greece where he was lauded at each of the clubs he painstakingly entered.
But his American story started back in 2018. He was then the only Korean soldier in the national football team at the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games. Born in the city of Daejeon, Hwang had a tough tryout for military club Asan Mugunghwa FC and was serving after enlistment.
At the Asian Games, Hwang assisted and Korea won gold in a 2–1 victory over Japan. Money Today reports that Korea’s military service law has been amended ahead of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, allowing for early discharge. Sonya made this possible, ensuring that he continued to reap the benefits.
A few months after the Korean protested, despite calls from Hamburg and Werder Bremen, where his football would be honed in the top flight in Europe, Daejeon City were ready to send him to Vancouver in the MLS, which did not bode well for his career. Furthermore, Hamburg was happy for Hwang as he would be joining fellow top Koreans in Germany.
Unofficially, football agents were involved in transfer transactions. Officially, Hwang will explain half the reason. Daejeon was a rare community-owned club in the top tier K-League, and Hwang benefited from being sold to MLS. He will return his frustration to the club’s interests and go along with the arrangement.
Story continues below this ad
‘Hwang hoped the record transfer fee offered by Vancouver could “reward players and fans” and advocated the idea that the transfer would be mutually beneficial,’ Money Today reported.
Hwang’s decision to move from the ranks of Private First Class to Senior Private was welcomed, as a midfielder who could create passes with both feet and never shied away from defensive duties could have gone to the next level in Europe. The Koreans had not forgotten
His ‘iron stamina’ by playing 240 minutes of extra time at the Asian Games. But Vancouver was a disappointment.
Anyway, he played with the Vancouver Whitecaps, before playing here
At Rubin Kazan, Olympiakos and Serbian Crvena Zvezda. Through Yuseong Middle School and Chungnam Mechanical High School, Greeks went crazy for his skills.
ESPN recently assessed that “Although Hwang In-Beom receives less attention than star players like Son Heung-Min, Kim Min-Jae and Lee Kang-In, his ability is beyond doubt. He is as calm and humble off the field as he is efficient on the pitch without any unnecessary elements.”
Story continues below this ad
Hwang is a classic central midfielder, not very common in contemporary football. According to ESPN, his ability to ‘pre-assist’ before Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, or Lee Jae-sung make the decisive key pass has been praised for his sharp intelligence.
Hwang is where the goal begins and is therefore central to Korean destiny.
He was absent from Feyenoord last season with an ankle injury, but saw Robin van Persie work his managerial magic. The Dutch media was clearly thrilled after Hwang set up the Korean victory.
The Dutch edition of Eurosport counted his decisive role in both of Korea’s goals with 1 goal and 1 assist. ‘Hwang attempted 81 passes and completed 73 of them. It was the most passes by any player in the match,’ he wrote.
Story continues below this ad
The Netherlands’ biggest daily, De Telegraaf, posted highlights and scenes from the match on social media to congratulate Feyenoord on how fatherly they were for their success. A leading daily, AD, hailed him as “the hero of the match who led Korea to victory”.
The Koreans had set up their training base in Utah at high altitude to match the Mexican swing at Guadalajara.
Hwang led Korea to the round of 16 in 2022. “Once you get to the knockout stages, anything can happen,” he told the media at the training base ahead of the Czechia game. “In the last World Cup, I and some teammates suffered after three group stage matches. This year, we have a lot of time in the group matches and it will help us if we reach the round of 32 and 16.”
Always humble, Hwang had said, “If we can all get together last time, I think we can bring joy to many people back home,” Hwang said. “We have a lot of talented players here. And we have to put the team first and make sacrifices to make the most of our potential.”