[김지은의 ‘삶도’ 인터뷰] Son Woong-jeong①
Published interview book based on 15 years of reading notes
A book I held on to even when I was a trainer for casual labor and daily workers.
Cleaning, reading, and exercising are his lifelong routine.
“I want my son to become a ‘soccer player who loves books’”
I met SON Soccer Academy coach Woong-Jeong Son, who published the interview collection ‘I Read, Write, and Throw It Away’, at a hotel in Seoul on the 15th. His eyes were hard and his body was strong. This is probably the result of training your mind with books and your body with exercise. Reporter Choi Joo-yeon
There was a book. If there had been a Bible there, I would have picked it up. If there had been a scripture there, I would have picked it up. A time when the stereotypical expression “indescribable pain” was most accurate. It is a time that Son Woong-jeong (62), head coach of SON Soccer Academy, still thinks of as a ‘crucible in his life.’
It was Son Heung-min’s (32, Tottenham Hotspur) first season (2015-2016) in the English Premier League (EPL). Coach Mauricio Pochettino at the time was passive in hiring Son. Of the 28 games, Son appeared as a starter in only 13 of them. The total playing time was only 1,104 minutes. He played an average of 39 minutes per game. In the previous season in the Bundesliga, he started all but two of the 30 games. This is why he contemplated a transfer less than a year after moving to the EPL.
The person who suffered more than anyone else was my father, Director Son. As a former player, he knows best how a player feels when he cannot play and the repercussions it causes. “Just as actors need to be on stage to be happy, soccer players need to be on the field too. He needs to play to grow and develop. “He even said he would transfer because the coach wouldn’t let him play, but he wouldn’t let him go.”
That situation lasted for several months. What accompanied Director Son during that painful time was a book. “One time, I sat on the living room floor, leaned back on the sofa, picked up a book, and sat there reading for four hours. “Later, I tried to stand up, but my body stiffened and I couldn’t lower my neck.”
For him, who neither enjoys drinking nor smoking, books are his friends, teachers, and bibles. “Whenever I was having a hard time, I listened to a book. “The book was a way to overcome the situation rather than avoid it.” That is why he says, “For me, books are not a tool of entertainment, but a tool of desperate survival.” Books are also his only luxury. He lives with only two pairs of tops per season, two pairs of shoes in England and two pairs in Korea. His life is, as he likes to say, “simple.”
It was ‘barefoot’ to begin with. For the third son of a poor thatched-roof house at the foot of Dobi Mountain, Sandong-ri, Inji-myeon, Seosan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, sneakers are just a dream. Instead of rubber shoes, which tend to get sweaty and slippery, the soccer shoes he could wear were barefoot. Still, I didn’t envy the sneakers. The object of my longing was a book. Even when I was a player on the soccer team, I would open each column and write them down to remember the famous sayings posted in public restrooms.
It wasn’t until I was almost 30 that I quenched my thirst. He retired early due to an unexpected Achilles tendon injury in his fourth year as a professional. Even when I was working two or three jobs as a day laborer and a health trainer, I would wake up at 3:30 in the morning and read a book. Starting the day with cleaning, exercising, and reading is his long-standing routine.
He reads voraciously. A good book should be read three times. When reading a book once, underline passages that stand out to you with a black ballpoint pen. When re-reading, take notes with a blue ballpoint pen, and when reading a third time, take notes with a red ballpoint pen. He then adds his thoughts to the main sections of the book and writes them down in a notebook. There have been seven such thick reading notes in the last 15 years alone. Throw away the books you have made your own.
His story of growing up with books was published on the 20th of this month as ‘I Read, Write, and Throw It Away’ (Nanda Publisher). He is living a new season of his life, from ‘Son Heung-min’s father’ to ‘Son Woong-jung’. He, who had just turned 60, smiled excitedly and said, “60 is the magic age.” I met him at a hotel in Seoul on the 15th.
◇Barefoot soccer player
Director Son’s hometown is Sandong-ri, Inji-myeon, Seosan-si, Chungcheongnam-do. He described his hometown as “a remote place with only one bus a day.” He was a soccer player who played on the field barefoot at a time when there were no sneakers. Reporter Choi Joo-yeon
-What was Son Woong-jeong like, who lived at the foot of Dobisan Mountain in Sandong-ri, Inji-myeon, Seosan-si?
“It was a time when there was no electricity, so we had to light lamps. “My two older brothers had to earn money as soon as they graduated from Kookmin School (now elementary school).”
He, too, was about to be forced to work for a living instead of going to middle school. Every time a relative said, “Learn a trade,” or the village leader said, “How about going to a shoe factory?”, he grew angry inside. The answer to his life that he decided early on was soccer.
-Why did you like soccer?
“Once a year, the youth played a soccer tournament against their neighborhood. I used to go up to the high ground in the village to see it. I couldn’t be more excited by the sound of that ball. “This was before I even kicked a soccer ball.”
-Are you talking about a kick?
“that’s right. Plus, it was great to see them competing and running for a ball.”
-Is that your first encounter with soccer?
“that’s right. “I knew I had to play soccer.”
The ‘first appearance’ was a church soccer tournament. His friends dragged him away because he didn’t go to church and didn’t really know what soccer was.
-I didn’t have any sneakers, so I went out barefoot and even scored a goal.
“that’s right. “It’s the first goal of my life.”
– Didn’t you get sick when you were young?
“I had no choice but to take off my rubber shoes because they were sweaty and slippery. Back then, he always played soccer barefoot. So it hurt a lot. In particular, there are places on the playground where grooves have been dug to mark lines. Because there was no raw fish powder. If you kick in that wrong spot, your skin will tear. That’s why I still have a lot of scars.”
Black toenails and calluses that have turned dark red here and there are traces of that time.
His feet are full of the desire for soccer he had as a child. There are scars and calluses formed around them all over the place from playing soccer barefoot. Provided by Nanda ⓒPhotographer Ahn Gyu-rim
-But the players on the opposing team were wearing sneakers.
“Beompyo sneakers for 980 won. It was a dream at the time. So, I don’t forget the price either.”
-I think I was jealous.
“But rather than being jealous, I thought it was important to get into (soccer) by being good at kicking the ball. “Then I thought, ‘Well, can’t I wear those someday?’”
-Your will is amazing.
“It’s Unchilgisam. Coincidentally, my father actually started playing soccer after meeting people at a restaurant who had suggested soccer to me. “I thought that even if the sky falls, there is a hole that will rise up, and that if you have a sincere dream, you will be given that kind of connection.”
The school’s physical education teacher and soccer coach who saw him play suggested that he join the soccer team. However, the ‘admission fee’ was a problem. Five measures of rice. It was the cost of food while staying at the soccer club camp. Even so, there was no way my father would understand what I was living without. Then, luck came to him. A physical education teacher and a coach were sitting next to the restaurant at the market where my father stopped by, talking about the student they coveted. That student was Director Son.
-It was a moment that changed my life.
“that’s right. “I started playing soccer from then on.”
◇Heungmin had to do things differently from me.
Another thing he enjoys besides exercising and reading is cleaning. He does it himself even when he stays at outside accommodations such as hotels. He said, “Cleaning time is like a time of contemplation, a walk, and meditation for me.” Reporter Choi Joo-yeon
-But why do you usually say, ‘I don’t like talking about my soccer’?
“When I was in elementary, middle, and high school, the only thing I did was soccer. I lived my life thinking only about ‘what should I do to be good at soccer?’ (Soccer club) We practiced even on weekends when everyone else was off, and while the other kids practiced once a day, I practiced three times a day. But in the end, I was ‘third-rate’. Because I didn’t become the player I wanted to be. “That was my level.”
The final of the 1984 President’s Cup National Football Championship is still the game that many people think of when they think of soccer player Son Woong-jung. Myongji University, where he belongs, lost 1 to 2 to Sangmu in the first half, but ended up winning with his comeback goal in the 43rd minute of the second half. He was even injured and had one of his arms bandaged. This is when Sangmu, who was the strongest business team, ‘scouted’ Coach Son. Even after being discharged from the military, he played as a striker for the Hyundai Tigers, but injuries caught up with him. In the end, he had to retire two years after joining Ilhwa Chunma. 7 goals in 37 appearances (2 goals with right foot, 3 goals with left foot, 2 goals with header). This is his 4-year K-League record.
-Heungyun (SON Soccer Academy head coach) and Heungmin, when your two sons said they wanted to play soccer, why did they first look back at the coach’s soccer?
“To change the result, you had to change the process first. If I didn’t want it to end up like me, I had to do it differently. I looked back at what I had done and tried to develop a new program. I also started studying. Because I need to know the trends of world soccer. “I watched all the World Cup games and European Champions League games recorded on video tape (VHS).”
Coach Son’s unique training method is well known. Among them, the anecdote that he devoted seven years to basic skills such as lifting is famous.
-Looking back on your days as a player, do you have any regrets?
“If I had been lazy, I might have regretted it or felt embarrassed. But I don’t regret it because I didn’t live like that.”
Son Woong-jeong, a Hyundai Tigers player in 1987. Hankook Ilbo file photo
-When did you start liking books?
“Even in middle and high school, when I stopped by a public restroom during a game, I would open each stall to see the famous quote on the door. And I even wrote it down. “At that time, I didn’t have time, but I also didn’t have money to buy books.”
-Then when did you come across the book you wanted to read so much?
“After I retire. “Even when I went to a manual labor camp and worked two or three jobs a day, I read books in my spare time.”
-You had a thirst for books.
“that’s right. It’s still like that. I go to the bookstore regularly and buy a dozen books at a time. “When I can’t read a book right away, I wonder and wonder, ‘What’s in that book I brought today?’”
-What are your criteria for choosing books?
“After looking at the books on the shelf, I pick up the book whose title comes to mind. “If you don’t get the idea just from the title, look at the table of contents inside.”
As I chose and bought books, I became aware of the charm of the book’s appearance. The second book, ‘I Read, Write, and Throw It Away’ is a book that reflects his tastes. He expressed his opinion to the publisher regarding the size and thickness of the book, the quality of the paper, and the size of the text.
◇Tough reading method… Read it three times, then use it and throw it away.
The new book ‘I Read, Write, and Throw It Away’ is based on six of the reading notes he wrote over 15 years. When he reads a book, he basically reads three times. Each time he repeats, he switches between a black ballpoint pen, a blue ballpoint pen, and a red ballpoint pen in order to underline, take notes, and add his thoughts. This is why three colors are combined in his reading notes. Reporter Choi Joo-yeon
-If I buy a book, how do I read it?
“First, skim through it and decide the order in which you will read it. A book to read right away, a book to read later, and a book to take your time because it has weight. Then, I read the three books I will read right away, one by one. Underline the passages that stick in your mind with a black ballpoint pen. After reading three books in a row, I go back to the first book and read it while taking notes with a blue ballpoint pen. Then, for about two weeks, I read books other than those three. Then, I go back to the first book, finish it with a red ballpoint pen, and organize it in my reading notes.”
-Then it’s almost like you’re reading privately.
“Oh, what a good book. After reading it like that four or five times and throwing it away, I buy it again. “If I say, ‘This book really has a lot to engrave in my heart,’ I buy it again, read it carefully, and repeat the process.”
-How many books are there that repeat that process?
“It will be about seven or eight volumes.”
I was curious what the book was, but he was reluctant to reveal its name. ‘I Read, Write, and Throw It Away’ is also a collection of interviews based on his reading notes, but the books he read that impressed him were not mentioned. For example, a list like ‘Some of Son Woong-jeong’s favorite books.’ “You read books according to your thoughts and preferences, and Director Son’s thoughts are when it comes to what book I recommend.” (Kim Min-jung, CEO of Nanda)
-When you first read a book, what field of books did you read first?
“I’ve been delving into the field of self-development for about 7 or 8 years. He was interested in books that could develop insight or insight into life. These are books written by successful people such as Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jack Welch, Carnegie, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs. “A lot of their lives and habits are similar to mine.”
-I think it would have been nice to see you.
“that’s right. So I fell in love with it even more. By looking at their habits, such as humility and diligence. I am the one who creates the habit, but later on, that habit creates miracles for me. The same goes for books. “People create books, but later books create people.”
-What field did you fall into next?
“I read books about leaders and books about history. (Because of Son Heung-min) If you wanted to live in Germany or England, you first had to know the history of those countries. “The same goes for our country’s history.”
-When did you start writing reading notes?
“I started writing in my 30s. But I lost everything I wrote in the beginning. “The seven books I have now are from books I read while living in Germany with Heungmin when he was seventeen.”
-How many books have you read so far?
“I didn’t count them. Quantity is important. “It’s been about 30 years, so it must be quite a while.”
When asked repeatedly, he declined to comment, saying, “I think it would be at least 130 books a year.” At most, I would read close to 300 volumes, but as he said, the number of volumes is not important.
-More than anything, it’s great that you read it consistently.
“Because consistent repetition creates miracles. Just as a rough stone becomes a gem through constant friction, you cannot grow without the friction of learning.”
◇The secret to my happiness
Unlike the harsh look in his eyes when training players on the playground, he was a person with a lot of smiles. When the photographer said, “I was a little nervous before we met,” he smiled brightly and said, “He’s only strong on the playground.” Reporter Choi Joo-yeon
-The word that appears a lot in the first book, ‘Everything Starts with the Basics’ and the second book, ‘I Read, Write, and Throw Away’ is happiness.
“I was happy when I was young and working in a labor market and riding a battered Pride car. The moment of gratitude is happiness. Helen Keller said, ‘Listen to the birds singing as if tomorrow you will be deaf.’ “Happiness is waiting for me at my doorstep, it’s rising right at my feet, and I don’t have to go far and find a four-leaf clover.”
This is what he always says to his son Son Heung-min. “Heungmin, empty your mind today, let go of your greed, and play a happy game regardless of whether you win or lose.”
-I didn’t exercise with full support when I was young. In my fourth year as a professional, I had to quit playing soccer, which I loved so much, due to an injury. What is the secret to being happy while doing other things to make a living?
“I didn’t compare myself to others. It might have been like that around you. ‘But does someone who played as a professional athlete do something like that?’ That’s that person’s life. There is no need to hand over the initiative and control of my life to them. “I just have to have hope in my life, pioneer it, and live diligently.”
In both books, he added several definitions to the books. ‘A manual for life’, ‘A being who has grown, matured and changed me’, ‘The weapon I picked up when I felt like I was thrown into the battlefield of life empty-handed’, ‘A partner in growth’, ‘Supporting my life with soccer. ‘The axis of what we have done’, ‘The conclusion is, a book’… . Even when Son Heung-min started playing soccer, he said, “I hoped my son would become a soccer player who loves books.”
Among them, there was one expression that stayed in my mind.
“For me, books are not a tool for entertainment, but a tool for desperate survival.”
Why did he call books ‘an essential tool for survival’? This is because there was a time when I held on to a book during a desperate crisis in life, and there was a time when I clung to the book as if I was praying. It was the second half of his son Son Heung-min’s EPL debut season.
Coach Son Woong-jung during his time as a player. He is the player who wears number 14 and shoots with his left foot. He is naturally right-footed, but trained with both feet by sticking a thumbtack into the tongue of his right shoe. If you use your right foot unconsciously, you will get pricked by a pin. During the four years he played in the K-League, he scored a total of seven goals. There were 2 goals each with the right foot and a header, and the most goals with the left foot were 3. It is the result of grueling training. Hankook Ilbo file photo
Coach Son Woong-jung’s performance in the 1984 President’s Cup National Soccer Championship is famous. Before joining professional soccer, he was playing for Myongji University. Myongji University was losing 1-2 in the first half. Coach Son gave his team the win by scoring a so-called ‘great goal’ two minutes before the end of the second half. This was the opportunity when Sangmu, who was on the opposing team and the strongest business team, enlisted him and ‘scouted’ him. At the time, the Hankook Ilbo reported, “Two minutes before the end, FW (attacker) Son Woong-jeong scored the winning goal, resulting in a come-from-behind victory, and Myongji University enjoyed the thrill of its first victory in the competition.” Source = Hankook Ilbo DB Content Department
※[김지은의 ‘삶도’] This continues with Son Woong-jeong②. The article will be published at 11 am on Thursday the 25th.
Kim Ji-eun Vertical Content Team Leader [email protected]
Photo = Jooyeon Choi reporter [email protected]
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