‘FC Shooting Star’ brings legends Park Ji-sung, Seol Ki-hyeon back to field

Legendary South Korean soccer stars including Park Ji-sung and Seol Ki-hyeon are lacing up their cleats to lead a new team: FC Shooting Star.

Local streaming platform Coupang Play’s new “FC Shooting Star” features Park as the head of the sports club with Seol as its executive coach. Former soccer player and coach Choi Yong-su joins as a manager.

Other former soccer players forming the team include former national team goalkeeper Kim Yeong-gwang, assistant coach of the Indonesian national soccer team Yeom Ki-hun, former right-back player at Byuksan FC and current FC Seoul Under-18 squad coach Go Yo-han as well as Hyun Young-min, manager of the Ulsan Hyundai U-18 team. Kim captains FC Shooting Star.

The program shows the team training to compete against lower-league teams in the local soccer league.

“Standing here in front of reporters reminds me of the time when we did the marching ceremony for the World Cup,” Park told reporters at a press conference held for the reality show in Seoul on Thursday. Park participated as a midfielder in the 2002, 2006 and 2010 soccer World Cup.

“I did worry whether the retired players could play soccer when they’re back on the ground, but I saw a better-than-expected result after all,” he said.

Park, who played for Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers and PSV Eindhoven until a knee injury led to his retirement in 2014, said he accepted the club head role at FC Shooting Star because the show can take a deep dive into Korean soccer.

“I didn’t notice (until I was offered the role) that I was that old. I believed that this show could take a deeper look into soccer and, further, the K League,” Park told reporters, referring to Korea's professional soccer organization.

Manager Choi Yong-su, a legendary player and coach in South Korea's soccer history who led Gangwon FC until recently, said their TV show is not mere entertainment.

“I feel grateful to have joined the program,” Choi told reporters. "This program is not just an entertaining reality show, but shows what soccer really is."

The first episode of “FC Shooting Star” will be released Nov. 22.