Seoul: The Korean Professional Football League (K League) has announced plans to hold an induction ceremony for its second Hall of Fame class next week. Scheduled for 11 a.m. on Tuesday, the ceremony will take place at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the K League inaugurated its Hall of Fame two years ago to mark its 40th anniversary. The inaugural class of 2023 included six members: four in the "Stars" category for former players, one in the "Leaders" category for former coaches, and one in the "Honors" category for other significant contributors to the league.
This year, six new individuals will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. In the Stars category, the inductees are late K League star Yoo Sang-chul, former MVP Kim Joo-sung, ex-goalkeeper Kim Byung-ji, and former striker Dejan Damjanovic. Former head coach Kim Ho will be inducted in the Leaders category, while former FIFA Vice President Chung Mong-joon will join in the Honors category.
At the ceremony, each new member will receive a certificate and a trophy adorned with a gold medal displaying the Hall of Fame logo. Yoo Sang-chul, who passed away from cancer in 2021 at the age of 49, will be represented by his son.
Eligibility for the Hall of Fame requires a player to meet at least one of several criteria, including playing 300 matches in the top division, scoring 100 goals as an outfield player, achieving 100 clean sheets as a goalkeeper, winning a league goal scoring or assist title, being named to the season-end Best XI Team, or receiving a league MVP award.
The Hall of Fame Selection Committee, consisting of six members, initially selected 20 nominees from a pool of 230 eligible players for the Stars category. The final inductees were chosen through votes by the committee, club officials, media, and fans. The committee also selected the inductees for the Leaders and Honors categories.