The Korea Herald

소아쌤

Jong to marry S. Korean stewardess

By Korea Herald

Published : Nov. 14, 2013 - 19:55

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Jong Tae-se Jong Tae-se
Jong Tae-se, a striker at Suwon Samsung Bluewings who played for North Korea, will marry a South Korean woman next month.

He is scheduled to tie the knot with a stewardess who works for a Korean airline at Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel on Dec. 4, his club said, without elaborating on who Jong’s bride-to-be was.

They were introduced through a mutual acquaintance in May and recently began preparations for their wedding after both families agreed, the club said.

Jong was born to Korean parents in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan in 1984. He attended a school run by Chongryon, a group tied to the North Korean government and a de facto North Korean embassy in Japan. He debuted in the Japanese professional league. Chongryon issued a North Korean passport to him and he played for North Korea in the 2010 World Cup.

He shot to global fame at the World Cup, where he was broadcast shedding tears as the North Korean anthem was played before the team’s opening game against Brazil.

Nicknamed “the People’s Rooney” after Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney, he joined the Bluewings in January.

He played in 20 matches in the K League this season, where he notched up 10 goals and two assists.

By Chun Sung-woo (swchun@heraldcorp.com)