Kim Min-seo (19, Samcheok City Hall) was born in 2004. Korean women’s handball wrote the myth of ‘Woo Saeng-soon (the best moment of our lives)’ at the Athens Olympics that year. In the final, she won the silver medal after a beautiful match against Europe’s strongest team, Denmark, which went to overtime. The nation applauded the fighting spirit of women’s handball who overcame injuries and physical limitations.
In August 2022, 18 years later, Korean women’s handball defeated Denmark in the final of the World Youth Championship and lifted the championship cup. It was the first non-European country to win the championship, and it resolved the sorrow of its seniors. Kim Min-seo, who was in her third year at Hwangji Information Industrial High School at the time, was chosen as the MVP of the tournament. A 1m 60cm tall short striker from Asia surpassed Danish players with an average height of 1m 74cm and stood tall. Kim Min-seo said, “No one cared about us when we arrived. But at the end of the competition, everyone looked at us and was agitated. I was proud,” he said with a bashful laugh.
Nevertheless, Kim Min-seo was named 7th in the 1st round in the rookie draft held two months later. Six teams passed Kim Min-seo until it was the turn of nomination for Samcheok City Hall, the second-place team last year. As expected, the short height of 1m60cm was a problem. Still, Kim Min-seo said, “I was not disappointed at all. Rather, it was good to be able to go to a strong team.” He said, “I was originally on the small side from a young age. I stopped thinking ‘I wish I was taller’ when I was in middle school,” he said.
Samcheok City Hall, joined by Kim Min-seo, took first place in the regular league (34 points) with 16 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses in the 2022-23 SK Handball Korea League Women’s Division, which ended on the 16th. Kim Min-seo flew with her proprietary half-time fast shooting and sensible pass. Her 142 points put her in second place and her 97 assists put her in fourth place, making her rookie sensational sensation. In 2013, Lee Hyo-jin broke all records of the most points (133 goals) and assists (66) in a single season as a rookie in the women’s division, which were left by Gyeongnam Development Corporation.
In the regular league MVP vote, he received 9 votes and placed second after Kang Kyung-min (Gwangju Urban Corporation, 17 votes). Kim Min-seo said, “It was difficult because it was her first adult stage, but she learned a lot while working out with her older sisters.” “There is still a long way to go. I want to do better,” she said. 카지노사이트
Kim Min-seo is from Taebaek, Gangwon-do. When she was in the third year of Hwangji Elementary School, she was first invited by the assistant handball coach, but gave up on her parents’ opposition. However, a year later, her close friend Shin Jae-yeon (Korean Physical Education University) suggested “let’s play handball together.” She couldn’t shake off that hand and caught the ball together. Kim Min-seo and Shin Jae-yeon became the best duo after that. She dominated the nation while playing an active role as a key member of Seyeonjung and Hwangjigo. At the World Youth Championships, they also jointly won the championship with the Taegeuk mark side by side. Shin Jae-yeon went to college after graduating from high school, but their friendship remains the same. Samcheok City Hall coach Lee Gye-seong said, “Maybe because Kim Min-seo won many championships during her school days, she knows how to win.” “It feels like she understands and plays handball itself. So she scores well, but has a lot of assists.”
One of the reasons Kim Min-seo is lucky to join Samcheok City Hall is the existence of ‘living legend’ Kim On-a (35). Kim On-ah, the national representative and also a center back, is Kim Min-seo’s role model. Kim Min-seo said, “I have a lot to learn while working out next to On-ah’s sister.” During the game, she was only playing with me, so her sister helped me a lot by telling me what she didn’t realize,” she said.
Handball is still called ‘unpopular sport’. At comprehensive competitions such as the Olympics or the Asian Games, they receive a flash of attention, and even then, if they do not perform well, they are put on the back burner. Many players in the past have expressed their sorrow. What was Kim Min-seo like? He said, “It’s okay because I really like handball.” “Handball is a fun sport for both those who play it and those who watch it. The moment I played handball was always the best,” he explained.
As he said, handball is Minseo Kim’s joy and dream. Kim Min-seo said, “My goal is to go to the Olympics and win a medal like my seniors, ‘Saeng-soon Woo.’” I gained confidence,” he said.