Cho Gue-Sung, the hearthrob of the Korean National Team
The Korea’s National Football Team had a unique performance in the last World Cup hosted by Qatar. But all the attention came across to the “number 9th” of the team, named Cho Gue-Sung.
-Korean Team-
South Korea made their entrance during the 2022´s World Cup. They had a splendid participation leading the team into the round 16th without hesitation. Moreover, player No.9 gained attention from the media compared to the rest of the team.
As soon as the media took a photo of him from the stands, the "South Korean No. 9" trended on various social media. His name is Cho Gue-Sung, born on January 25, 1998 in Ansan, South Korea. He was a college student before beginning his professional career at the minor league in his hometown. The 24-year-old player has been on the radar of the media since the Korea-Uruguay game.
-Instagram´s impact-
His followers on Instagram tripled after the photo was posted. He currently has over 2 million followers. Hundreds of compilations of Cho standing, sitting, running, or just blinking make the users swoon. His popularity continues to rise after the return of the team to the country.
-Vogue Sensation-
He became the star of Korea during the tournament and because of that, many sports and luxury brands contracts have come to the player's doorstep.
On December 19th, Vogue Korea revealed Cho Gue-Sung as the lead model of the magazine. Being in the cover shows how important he became through social media. Vogue has been around for more than a century and represents the center of fashion and trends . The cover will bring prestige to Cho, making him an icon for future references.
It seems his team has taken notice of the player's newfound fame; Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC, Cho´s professional football club, posted videos of him on the team's TikTok account. “They know what we want,” commented one user. Some videos under the hashtag “choguesung” have been viewed more than 317 million times.
Although the popularity came all the way back. Other soccer players have garnered widespread attention in South Korea, a nation where people "have always fawned over those in the spotlight, be it footballers, idols, or actors”. David Tizzard, an assistant professor of Korean studies at Seoul Women's University, noted that Cho was winning recognition on a global scale. He stated, "We are now witnessing this urge emerges all throughout the world”. Positioning Korean society once again in the media eye.
The sudden fame has sparked debate about Cho's potential business opportunities. He advertises Nike in his otherwise blank Instagram bio and he is identified as a Nike athlete on the company's website. In addition, there are rumors of interest from numerous teams outside South Korea that want him in their clubs.
For the time being, fans will have to make do with the photos from the World Cup. After the team's return to Korea, the player is expected to make further appearances, showing his skills and test his gained popularity on the field.
Sources. -
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/12/04/cho-gue-sung-world-cup-south-korea/
https://www.quora.com/What-makes-the-South-Korean-football-team-the-best-in-Asia
https://theathletic.com/3956360/2022/12/02/cho-gue-sung-south-korea-striker/
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/History_of_the_South_Korea_national_football_team
