Jeju United goalkeeper Yoo Yeon-soo
announces retirement at the young age of 25
Aims to compete in the Paralympics
Yoo Yeon-soo, Jeju United’s goalkeeper who was paralyzed from the waist down due to a drunk driving accident, has finally announced his retirement.
On the 11th, during halftime of a match between Jeju United and FC Seoul at the Jeju World Cup Stadium, Yoo Yeon-soo bid his fans farewell in a retirement ceremony.
Yoo Yeon-soo entered the stadium in a wheelchair alongside his parents and greeted the fans.
That day, Yoo Yeon-soo shed tears as he said, “I’m truly grateful to the Jeju fans.” His colleagues, fans, and the club sent him off with cheers and a standing ovation.
Afterward, Yoo Yeon-soo posted a lengthy message on his Instagram: “The word retirement always seemed far away to me, but I had to retire due to a sudden accident.”
Yoo Yeon-soo added, “Just as I wished for people to remember ‘Yoo Yeon-soo’ the player, many of you remembered me and shared my last moment, creating another memorable memory. Thank you.”
He further added, “I will not forget the endless cheers, applause, and voices for me. Thanks to the K-League fans, I was able to leave the ground with a smile.”
Yoo Yeon-soo revealed in an interview that he had set a new goal to compete in the Disabled Table Tennis Paralympics using the table tennis racket he first picked up in the hospital.
Meanwhile, in October last year, Yoo Yeon-soo was involved in a traffic accident with a drunk driver while traveling with his team members, which resulted in paralysis of the lower half of his body.
On the 8th, a post was made on the official Instagram of Jeju United FC, stating, “Exactly one year ago, player Yoo Yeon-soo suffered a major injury from an unfortunate traffic accident and is currently dedicating himself to rehabilitation.”
It continued, “Jeju United has publicly declared number 31 as his for this season and still mentions him in player introductions. Player Yoo Yeon-soo is appearing in front of the fans after a long time,” and added, “Sadly, it is a farewell as a player. However, our support for him will be eternal, so it is not a goodbye.”
By. Cho Yi Jae
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