[Anchor]
Let us introduce you to a 17-year-old rising star who has brought a much-needed glimmer of hope to South Korean football, which has recently been filled with frustrating news. Having been in the spotlight as a prodigy since childhood, Kim Ye-geon scored a spectacular debut goal in the K-League last weekend and has even revealed his ambitious goal of winning the Ballon d'Or.
Reporter Lee Jeong-Chan has the story.
[Reporter]
Born in 2008 and currently a high school senior on a semi-professional contract, 17-year-old Kim Ye-geon captured attention with his dazzling individual skills during his debut match. In just his second game, he exploded with a spectacular K-League 1 debut goal, becoming the protagonist of the Hyundai Derby.
After signaling the birth of a star with the same celebration as England's World Cup star Jude Bellingham, he officially signed a professional contract on July 13, achieving his dreams one by one.
[Kim Ye-geon / Forward, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors: My father shed tears. It felt like a dream. It felt like I was dreaming, and the things I had imagined were coming true. Scoring a goal felt so good.]
Six years ago, Kim gained attention as a "football prodigy" after two videos featuring him on the SBS program "Sports Mug" surpassed 15 million views.
[Kim Ye-geon (2020, then a 5th-grade elementary student): It feels good because people (who watched "Sports Mug") keep saying I'm good and cool. I will repay them later.]
Although his plans to play abroad were thwarted by the COVID-19 pandemic, he grew rapidly within the Jeonbuk youth system.
In particular, last month, he proved that his 170cm frame could compete on the professional stage, including scoring an unbelievable bicycle kick in the third division.
Watching the World Cup recently has only made Kim's dreams grow bigger.
[Kim Ye-geon / Forward, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors: I think I set a goal that I really want to go to the next World Cup. (Furthermore) I want to win the Ballon d'Or. That is what I think.]
He also pledged to become a player who possesses not only skill but also great character.
[Kim Ye-geon / Forward, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors: 'Kim' Ye-geon means having 'Ye' (manners) and being 'Geon' (healthy). I want to always be praised for my attitude and character, and I want to become a great person like Shohei Ohtani. Please keep watching over me.]
(Video reporting: Yang Doo-won, Video editing: Hwang Ji-young, Graphics: Han Song-yeon)
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