No more Korean players in PL?

[Anchor]

As Son Heung-min departs from Tottenham to LAFC, transfer rumors surrounding Wolverhampton's Hwang Hee-chan are also emerging ahead of the Premier League's opening.

There are concerns that the lineage of Korean Premier League players, which has continued for 20 years, may come to an end this season.

Reporter Kim Hwa-young has the details.

[Report]

On the day Son Heung-min announced his farewell to Tottenham, we asked fans about their honest feelings.

[Seo Chan-kyu/Football Fan: "I've lived my life watching football every dawn, but on the other hand, I wonder if I will continue to follow Tottenham's games."]

[Mo Woo-rim/Football Fan: "As a fan, I personally wish for him to challenge again in Europe, but I really want to support him as he runs towards the goal of the World Cup."]

While most fans respect the player's personal choice, they express disappointment that he is leaving the Premier League, which best showcases the flow of world football.

The lineage of Korean Premier League players, which has continued since Park Ji-sung at Manchester United, is now at risk of being cut off for the first time in 20 years.

With Son Heung-min's departure, there are now only five Korean players affiliated with Premier League clubs.

However, Yang Min-hyuk has moved to the English second division, and Kim Ji-soo and Yoon Do-young have already been loaned to teams in Germany and the Netherlands, respectively. Additionally, Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton, who struggled with injuries and poor performance last season, is also facing the possibility of a transfer to the second division.

The only remaining player is Park Seung-soo of Newcastle.

The key question is whether this 18-year-old rookie can secure a solid starting position amid fierce competition in the first team.

Currently, evaluations of Park Seung-soo during the preseason are positive.

[Eddie Howe/Newcastle Manager: "At the moment, he'll train with us. He's done well enough to ear that right. He's got this great ability to beat defenders' confidence."]

However, it is also true that he still needs time to adapt.

[Park Seung-soo/Newcastle: "I think I need to build more strength through more weight training and endurance exercises."]

Fans are expressing concerns that the absence of players in the Premier League, regarded as the best league in the world, may reflect the stagnation of growth in Korean football.

This is KBS News, Kim Hwa-young.