Han Seok-jin wears Hwang In-bum’s uniform during the 2015 Daejeon Citizen season. self-propelled
I am happy to write a letter of support for Hwang In-beom ahead of his first World Cup. I’m Han Seok-jin, a 17-year-old fan of Daejeon Hana Citizen. It has been a great pleasure to watch your performance and growth since wearing the Daejeon uniform in 2015. I remember 7 years ago when they first appeared before us in the K-League. I was impressed by the ambitious game that a promising player who had just graduated from Chungnam Mechanical Technical High School did not hesitate to play even among prominent veterans. ‘How did such a player get to our team?’ I have vivid memories of being startled and puzzled, and wondering but the corners of my mouth pull up. Unlike the results in Daejeon at the time (relegation to last place), my 2015 season kit had the name ‘Hwang In-beom’ engraved like this. During your military service in Asan Mugunghwa, you went to the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang. It was a tournament where the attention of many football fans was focused on Son Heung-min (Tottenham), but the eyes of some Daejeon fans were on the midfield. I watched the game with the pride of watching an “Our Youth” player and the small hope that “(if I get a gold medal and get discharged) I might go back to Daejeon a little sooner.” Hwang Eui-jo’s bombing goal, Cho Hyun-woo’s super save, Lee Seung-woo’s theatrical goal and many other things to see. Having returned to the team earlier than expected, you had the great gift of being selected for the first A national team in September of that year. It was the birth of Bento, four years after he left behind his dream of winning his last game against Germany at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. For me, who have been a Daejeon fan since I was 7 years old, you were the first Daejeon player to bear the Taegeuk brand. Even Taegeuk’s first sign was thrilling, but the goal on his debut in Serie A (against Panama on 16 October 2018) exploded immediately afterwards. The subtitle “Daejeon Citizen Hwang In-beom” that appeared on the screen after the right foot hit the corner of the door is held in my memory. The growth trend has become too big for Daejeon to embrace, and the inevitable time of parting has come. Your love for Daejeon, who worried about Daejeon until the last day you left, has become the pride of Daejeon fans. He also proved his worth during programs that spanned North America (Vancouver Whitecaps), Russia (Rubin Kazan), Korea (FC Seoul) and Greece (Olympiacos). Since he won the 2019 East Asian Cup Most Valuable Player (MVP), he has become the axis of the national team’s midfield. I will never forget the moment our trust and support seemed to be rewarded. Hwang’s football is a great blessing for Daejeon fans. Even after moving overseas, the image of you appearing on the club’s social services on the day of a Daejeon game was the driving force behind the fan sentiment. With the first World Cup coming up, I think it’s Daejeon fans’ turn to repay their support. You have to be the most nervous, but the fans know that. If you can unleash your skill and fighting spirit on the pitch, you will do well at the World Cup. He will cheer for you with a bigger heart than anyone in the hope you prove his worth again against the midfielders of Uruguay, Ghana and Portugal. In an interview one day, I described Borussia Dortmund of the German Bundesliga as my “dream club”. Watching you play for a big club in Europe will be a great pleasure for Daejeon fans. As I always have, I believe that if you jump step by step, you can make your dream come true. I will fervently support Hwang In-beom, who commands the best stage in the world, until the day I see Hwang In-beom proudly return to the Daejeon World Cup Stadium after doing so. Seokjin Han (24 years old, college student)
