Busan IPark announced on Tuesday that it has signed veteran defender Min Sang-ki and midfielder Summer to add more weight to its squad.
Min Sang-ki, who joins Busan on loan, is a 14-year professional veteran who has played exclusively for Suwon Samsung except for his military service. He is a gritty and relentlessly pressing defender with a wide range of vision and a unique leadership style that allows him to coordinate the defense.
Min didn’t get much of a chance in the early stages of his professional debut in 2010. In 2013, he became a regular starter under Seo Won-jeong. The following year, in 2014, he also played a lot of games. His partner at center back was Cho Sung-jin, the current coach of the Busan IPark Futures team.
After joining Asan Mugunghwa for military service in the 2017 season, Min Sang-ki played 27 games as captain the following year, leading the team to the K League 2 title. Upon returning to Suwon after his discharge from the army, Min continued to be a regular member of the starting lineup, leading the team’s defense.
A former member of Suwon’s youth team Matango and one-time clubman, Min joined Busan for a new challenge. He will be reunited with Lee Hando, who played with him in Suwon last year, and is expected to do well in Busan.
“This is my first transfer in my 14th year as a professional, so I’m very nervous and excited. I’m glad to be given the opportunity to help a traditional and well-positioned team like Busan,” he said, “I want to learn the tactical aspects from the manager and coaches and grow through their feedback.”
“Even though it is a loan, I came to Busan with a determined mindset as it is my first transfer, and I will show a good performance with a greater sense of responsibility and obligation, not just a player who comes and goes. I will prepare well so that I can see the fans on the field soon,” he said.
An 11-year professional veteran, Summer excels as a playmaker who orchestrates the game from the center of the field and acts as an offensive link. He is a dominant presence in the center of the field with a high work rate that comes from strict self-management. He has 11 goals and 13 assists in 257 K League games and has won two promotions with Gwangju in 2014 and 2019.
Summer, who began his professional career with Gwangju in 2013, impressed in his debut season with two goals and one assist in 29 games, and the following year he contributed two assists in 27 games to help Gwangju win promotion. After leaving the club, he joined Gwangju midway through the 2018 season, where he first worked 스포츠토토 with head coach Park Jin-seop. The following summer, he was a regular for Park and helped Gwangju to promotion in 2019 with three goals and three assists in 29 games.
At the end of the 2020 season, Park left for FC Seoul and Summer for Jeju United, before Park reunited with Summer in mid-2021, bringing him back to Seoul. Two years later, they met again in Busan.
“I came to Busan with a firm mindset because I know what the coach wants from me,” said Summer, “I’m very determined to join a team that wants to win the championship. I want to make myself as good as the fans expect and contribute to the promotion.”
Busan was promoted earlier this season