Park Ji-sung’s Wife Kim Min-ji: The Woman Behind the Manchester United Legend
For many Manchester United supporters, Park Ji-sung will always be remembered as the tireless midfielder who seemed able to run for an entire match without slowing down. Yet away from football, Park has built a quiet family life with former television presenter Kim Min-ji.
Kim was already a familiar face in South Korea before marrying the former Manchester United player. She worked for SBS, presented a football programme and had her own successful media career.
So, who is Kim Min-ji, how did she meet Park Ji-sung, and can they really be called the Korean version of Posh and Becks?
Who Is Kim Min-ji?
Kim Min-ji is a former South Korean television announcer and presenter.
Before moving into broadcasting, she studied Western painting at Ewha Womans University, one of South Korea’s best-known universities.
That makes her background slightly unusual for a sports presenter. She trained in art before changing direction and joining the major South Korean television network SBS in 2010.
Kim went on to present several shows, including Live Today, What on Earth! and the football programme Football Magazine Goal!.
Her role on the football show made her well known among Korean fans long before her relationship with Park became public.
She left SBS in March 2014, a few months before marrying Park.
How Did Park Ji-sung Meet Kim Min-ji?
Their first meeting sounds like something from a television comedy.
Kim worked on Football Magazine Goal! with fellow SBS presenter Bae Sung-jae. Bae knew Park Ji-sung’s father and introduced Kim to him.
Park’s father then suggested that his son should meet her.
In other words, the footballer was set up on a blind date after his future wife’s workmate first gave her details to his dad.
Park and Kim first met in 2011. They were friends at first, but the relationship slowly became more serious.
Park later spoke warmly about Kim, saying that he found her understanding and saw her as the most lovable woman to him.
Their relationship became public in June 2013 after photographs appeared of them spending time together in Seoul.
Until then, Park had kept his private life very quiet, despite years of rumours linking him with famous women in South Korea.
She Presented a Football Show
There is a nice twist to their story.
Kim was not simply someone who happened to marry a footballer. She was already presenting a weekly programme about the sport.
That meant she understood football, the pressures around famous players and the huge public interest in Park’s life.
It may also help explain why Park described her as such an understanding person.
Bae Sung-jae, the presenter who played matchmaker, later hosted their wedding. The programme on which he and Kim had worked also became part of the couple’s story.
Shortly before their marriage, Park and Kim appeared together on Football Magazine Goal! to discuss his retirement and their coming wedding.
Bae has since joked that bringing the pair together was one of the greatest achievements of his career.
Park’s Romantic Goal Celebration Did Not Go to Plan
One of the best stories about the couple came during Park’s second spell with PSV Eindhoven.
After scoring his first goal following his return to the Dutch club, Park gave a kiss celebration that was meant for Kim.
It was a rare public show of romance from a player known for being calm and private.
There was only one problem. Kim had fallen asleep and missed it.
Bae Sung-jae later joked on television that, with Kim asleep, the celebration had effectively been aimed at him instead.
Park could track an opponent for 90 minutes, but he could not make sure his future wife stayed awake for his goal.
When Did Park Ji-sung and Kim Min-ji Marry?
Park and Kim married on 27 July 2014 at the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul.
Their ceremony was held away from the media, but the guest list showed just how famous the couple had become.
Guests reportedly included Park’s former Manchester United teammate Patrice Evra and former South Korea manager Guus Hiddink.
Korean music star Psy, actor Lee Byung-hun, baseball star Park Chan-ho and Olympic swimmer Park Tae-hwan were also said to have attended.
Park had announced his retirement only two months earlier, so the wedding marked the start of a very different part of his life.
The couple later settled in London and became parents to a daughter and a son.
Although Kim occasionally shares warm family moments, they have kept their children largely outside the main celebrity press.
Are Park Ji-sung and Kim Min-ji the Posh and Becks of Korea?
There are some clear links.
Park was one of South Korea’s biggest sports stars, while Kim was a well-known television presenter.
Their relationship drew huge press interest, and their wedding brought together major names from sport and entertainment.
That certainly sounds a little like David and Victoria Beckham.
However, the comparison only goes so far.
Victoria Beckham was a global pop star before becoming a major fashion figure. Kim worked in television and later chose a quieter family life.
Park has also avoided the kind of worldwide celebrity brand built by the Beckhams.
A better description might be that Park and Kim are South Korea’s more private and low-key answer to Posh and Becks.
They had the football hero, the famous media partner and the major celebrity wedding. What they did not seek was the constant publicity that came with the Beckham name.
More Than Park Ji-sung’s Wife
Kim Min-ji is far more than simply Park Ji-sung’s wife.
She studied art, built a career with one of South Korea’s leading television networks and presented football coverage before meeting the country’s most famous player.
Their story also contains a helpful colleague, an approving father, a blind date and a romantic goal celebration that Kim slept through.
They may not quite be Korea’s Posh and Becks, but they remain one of the country’s best-known football couples.
Their quieter style may be exactly why supporters continue to like them.
