Hwang Ui-jo, a former Seongnam FC player, was mentioned as a leading candidate for the 2015 K League Young Player. Afterwards, he moved to Gamba Osaka in the J League.
Hwang Ui-jo played a huge role as a wild card at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, solving his long-cherished military problem with the gold medal.
Afterwards, he moved to Girondin Bordeaux in France and advanced to the European stage. He made strong impressions by scoring goals in succession.
Hwang Ui-jo searched for a new team due to Borod’s relegation issues and moved to Nottingham Forest in August 2022. However, he left on loan from Olympiacos in Greece without taking a chance. 스포츠토토
However, it was not easy. He returned to the K-League through a loan transfer from FC Seoul as he failed to show any significant performance at Olympiacos. He then headed to Nottingham.
Hwang Ui-jo, who returned to Nottingham, has made several pre-season appearances, raising expectations for the new season.
However, he was not given a chance again this time. He left for Norwich on loan again. He is building trust while receiving a lot of opportunities.
Hwang Ui-jo is looking forward to whether he will be able to walk on the flower path again after making his mark on the European stage through France.
Contrary to Hwang Ui-jo’s performance, privacy is expected to cause considerable repercussions as it stands at the center of controversy.
His career faced a crisis as he stood at the center of controversy, including being investigated for illegal filming at a critical time. He was recently investigated by the police as a perpetrator of illegal filming.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Hwang Ui-jo is suspected of illegally filming and is investigating him by converting him into a suspect.
A woman who claimed to be an ex-lover who uploaded articles and videos related to Hwang Ui-jo’s revelation of his personal life was arrested on the 16th.
Hwang Ui-jo claimed that he received threats to distribute photos after his mobile phone was stolen in November last year, claiming that all of the information was false.
However, the victim of Hwang Ui-jo’s alleged illegal filming revealed his position that he “never agreed to film.”
Hwang Ui-jo claimed that it was agreed, but the victim of illegal filming refuted it head-on through a law firm.
The victim’s legal representative claimed, “The victim briefly dated Hwang Ui-jo in the past, but he did not agree to shoot the sensitive video and requested it to be deleted.”
The victim’s lawyer also disclosed the phone calls and messenger conversations he had with Hwang Ui-jo in the past, saying it was illegally filmed on the 23rd.
According to the contents of the phone call and messenger conversation, the victim asked Hwang Ui-jo to “show me (the video) and clearly delete it,” and “I told you clearly that I didn’t like it.”
Hwang Ui-jo admitted wrongdoing, saying, “I’m trying so hard not to cause damage,” “I didn’t know this would happen when I took it,” and “I’m really sorry.”
A woman, who was arrested on charges of spreading Hwang Ui-jo’s personal life video, is known to be her biological brother.
A is said to have served as a de facto manager with his brother, such as accompanying Hwang Ui-jo on overseas business trips, which is even more shocking.
Hwang Ui-jo’s side completely denied allegations of a financial dispute between brothers that surfaced, saying they believed his brother-in-law A was innocent.
According to Hwang Ui-jo’s legal representative, the family believes in innocence, and his brother and sister-in-law are still committed to Hwang Ui-jo’s safety as a top priority.
Hwang Ui-jo’s side denied, saying, “The contents of the defense that only those who made the brother-in-law’s crime a fact and even participated in the investigation process can know are being announced indiscriminately. The allegations of financial disputes between brothers and affair with their sister-in-law raised by some are not true at all.”
“Please refrain from making unreasonable speculation until the verdict is given that it was the sentence and the brother-in-law who pushed for a lawsuit against the original video,” Hwang said. “The court is paying attention to the possibility that the video was not committed by the same person. We doubt the possibility that it was committed by professional and organized people.”
Despite the ongoing investigation and poor public opinion, coach Jurgen Klinsmann took out the card of Hwang Ui-jo’s participation.
The South Korean national team, led by head coach Klinsmann, won 3-0 in the second Group C match of the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup Asian qualifying round against China at the Shenzhen Universiade Center in Shenzhen, China, on the 21st.
Hwang Ui-jo took the ground in the 27th minute of the second half when he was replaced by Cho Kyu-sung.
“I know that there is controversy over privacy in Korea. But we have to make a clear decision,” Klinsmann said after the game.
“I don’t think Hwang Ui-jo is a criminal because it is an ongoing situation. It is important to help him perform well. I have experienced a lot over the past 40 years while playing soccer. If it is clearly recognized as a problem, you may not know, but if it is not, you should give him a chance to play hard,” he said, stressing the principle of presumption of innocence.
Wagner of Hwang Ui-jo’s team Norwich felt the same way.
Hwang Ui-jo led the team to a 1-0 victory against Queens Park Rangers on the 26th by scoring a goal in the 17th round of the 2023/24 season championship.
Hwang Ui-jo started as a starter. He led his team’s victory by scoring a goal. After receiving Gabriel Sarah’s pass at the 21st minute of the first half, he grabbed it with his sensuous touch, and calmly shook QPR’s net with his right foot shot.
After scoring, Hwang Ui-jo ran slowly toward the home fans behind the net and performed a signature ceremony with his index finger on his mouth with his head slightly lowered.
According to soccer statistics website Sofa Score, Hwang scored one shot on goal. He recorded 86 percent pass success rate and displayed statistics such as one clear and one courtesy win. He received the highest rating among the strikers with 7.1 points.
Hwang has played in 12 league games this season and has two goals and one assist. He started four consecutive games and scored the finishing goal to lead his team to victory.
Norwich coach David Wagner praised the team, saying, “Hwang Ui-jo joined us and proved how good a soccer player is. He is well-skilled, has a very good attitude in training and understanding of the game.”
“Hwang Ui-jo is a player who has played in more than 50 games for the Korean national team. Everyone knows that. Now I think he is adapting well and understanding better,” he said in a positive evaluation.
“A-match is always difficult. The time zone changes and the climate changes as you fly. So I had to replace Hwang after 70 minutes. He looked tired, but I’m glad he scored,” she said with a smile.
The public’s response has been cold. Many people opposed Hwang’s participation in the KFA’s SNS.
There is another angry voice. The Sports Citizens’ Solidarity raised its voice on the 24th, saying, “Is a soccer player suspected of illegal sex filming eligible to play on behalf of the Republic of Korea?”
“National team players are in a position where children who are growing up with the support and love of the people dream. They must be self-respectful and give up participation or give up their qualifications for the national team,” he said in a statement.
At the same time, it is natural to deprive the national team of its qualification as related issues are raised with some evidence even before guilt or disciplinary action is confirmed. Illegal filming is very serious as anti-social crimes such as drunk driving, gambling, drugs, and sexual misconduct. The Korea Football Association, which consistently protects its own family despite being embroiled in anti-social and immoral controversies, should immediately make a public apology and deprive the secondary perpetrators of their qualifications for the national team.”
The Korea Football Association has taken a knife. On the 28th, major executives of the association, including the chairmen of the Ethics Committee, the Fair Trade Commission, and the National Power Enhancement Committee, attended the soccer center to discuss Hwang Ui-jo’s recent alleged illegal filming.
The Korea Football Association said, “We have decided not to select Hwang Ui-jo for the national team until a clear conclusion is reached on the facts.”
The meeting was attended by Ethics Chairman Lee Yoon-nam, Fair Trade Commission Vice Chairman Kim Won-geun, Power Enhancement Committee Chairman Michael Mueller, Power Enhancement Committee member Park Tae-ha, Vice Chairman Choi Young-il, and Competition Chairman Chung Hae-sung.
Lee Yoon-nam, chairman of the ethics committee, explained, “Although the dispute over whether the crime is true or not and the association cannot predict and conclude the case under investigation, the national team must self-manage as a player representing the country with a high degree of morality and responsibility, and is in a position not to do anything that can damage the reputation of the national team.”
“Considering the fact that the player is being investigated as a suspect in the case under investigation, the difficulty of normal national team activities, and the high expectations of fans looking at the national team, we judged that it was inappropriate to select Hwang Ui-jo as a national team member,” he explained.
Prior to the discussion, the Korea Football Association explained all the situations related to the player to the national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann and informed him that related discussions would take place.
Coach Klinsmann reportedly said, “I fully understand the current situation and will respect the decision of the Korea Football Association.”
With Hwang Ui-jo unable to join the national team for the time being and the Asian Cup is just around the corner, there has been a gap in attack.
Of course, Hwang Ui-jo has not recently played as a main striker for Cleansman’s team, but he needs a player to fill the backup role he played.
Attention is focusing on whether coach Klinsmann will select a new face and breathe a new wind into the Asian Cup squad.
However, they can also reinforce positions other than strikers.
Clinsman has Oh Hyun-kyu with Cho Kyu-sung at the forefront. There is also a way to use Son Heung-min as a front-line striker.
Coach Klinsmann may turn to another position in a situation where there is no shortage of offensive resources.
British public broadcaster “BBC” said on November 30 that “Hwang Ui-jo was selected as a member of the Korean national team until the results of the investigation came out on charges that he filmed illegally without consent.”
Norwich City is also well aware of Hwang Ui-jo’s situation. It is a position to keep an eye on the situation. He declined to elaborate, he added.
At the same time, Hwang Ui-jo was expected to be included in the Asian Cup list, but the Korea Football Association issued a deprivation disciplinary action, he said.
The British media “Daily Mail” also dealt with the news of Hwang Ui-jo’s disqualification from the national team.
Meanwhile, Hwang Ui-jo scored for the second consecutive game despite the controversy.
Norwich City suffered a 2-3 upset loss in the 18th round of the 2023/24 season of the English Championship against Watford at Vicarage Road in Watford, England, on the 29th.
Hwang Ui-jo started as a starter. He showed his presence by firing a scoring shot at the 12th minute of the first half. He scored the goal through a powerful right-footed mid-range shot from a distance of 30 meters from outside the penalty box.
However, Norwich failed to win and fell to their knees in a come-from-behind defeat despite the opening goal.
Hwang Ui-jo also scored against Queens Park Rangers, the previous game, and maintained an upward atmosphere by scoring goals for the second consecutive game.
However, it seems that Norwich, which was a hope at least, will also play. This is because he collapsed due to injury.
Norwich manager David Wagner said, “Hwang Ui-jo has a hamstring injury. We will check the severity of the injury after a thorough examination.”
He added, “I hope to return within this year.”