Born in Germany, playing for Korea, Castrop ignites debate on Korea's football locker room culture

Jens Castrop, the first foreign-born, mixed-race player to join Korea’s national football team, ignited debates across Korea’s football fan communities after comments about Korea’s locker room culture, bringing public’s attention to potentially lingering hierarchies in the squad. Castrop’s interview with Germany’s Kicker, published Monday, spurred headlines questioning whether a “kkondae culture” — a term for outdated, patriarchal seniority — remains alive in Korean football. Born in Germany to a Korean mother and a German father, Castrop grew up representing his birth country at the junior level. This August, the Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder switched his footballing allegiance from Germany to Korea and his inclusion under coach Hong Myung-bo marked a fresh turn for the Taegeuk Warriors. His versatility, shown in friendly matches against the United States and Mexico, immediately impressed both fans and coaching staff. “Everyone in Korea is polite. You bow your head when you greet and respect for elders is very strong,” Castrop told Kicker. He went on to deWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times