Jeonbuk Hyundai's 'Choi Tug-ji' legend, Choi Cheol-soon, will retire as a professional player at the end of this season.

On the 30th of this month at 4:30 p.m., he will put an end to his 20-year journey with Jeonbuk Hyundai, sweating and contributing to the team's history, by playing the final match of the 'Hana Bank K League 1 2025' against FC Seoul.

Choi Cheol-soon, who made his pro debut in 2006 and played exclusively for Jeonbuk Hyundai for 20 years (including a loan to Sangmu), was a 'one-club man' player who shared many of the team's historical moments and was at the center of them.

The reason many fans consider Choi Cheol-soon a legend is not only because of the long time he spent with Jeonbuk Hyundai but also due to the historic achievements he accomplished with the team.

Over the course of 20 years, Choi Cheol-soon played in 511 matches for Jeonbuk Hyundai (K League 1 - 411 matches, ACL & ACL Two - 71 matches, Korea Cup - 26 matches, Club World Cup - 3 matches, as of November 21, 2025), lifting 14 championship trophies including 10 K League 1 titles, 2 ACL titles, and 2 Korea Cup titles.

In particular, Choi Cheol-soon was present at all the team's past championship victories in K League 1 and ACL, making him a living legend and a part of the team's history.

Fans also showered Choi Cheol-soon with love for his interactions with them. In May 2015, during an injury that prevented him from playing in a match between Suwon Samsung and the 1st and 2nd place teams, Choi Cheol-soon went to the N section of the stadium, grabbed a megaphone, and led the support for Jeonbuk Hyundai with the team's supporters, MGB (Mad Green Boys).

Quietly fulfilling his duties even in unseen places, Choi Cheol-soon, known for his spirited play, also represented the national team. He played 11 matches for the adult national team, starting from the U20 World Cup in 2007, his A-match debut in 2010, the final qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA Russia World Cup, and the 2017 EAFF E-1 Championship.

After wearing the green uniform for 7,573 days from his first AFC Champions League appearance with Gamba Osaka on March 8, 2006, until November 30, 2025, Choi Cheol-soon, now preparing for a second life outside the field, expressed his intention to continue supporting the team.

Choi Cheol-soon, who always felt happiest when playing as a player, said, "I spent more than half of my life as a Jeonbuk Hyundai player and gained numerous honors over 20 years. There will be no football player happier than me," expressing deep gratitude to the fans, coaching staff, support staff, and teammates who supported him. He concluded by saying, "I will always remember my team, Jeonbuk Hyundai, and this place, Jeonju World Cup Stadium, for the rest of my life, and now I will continue to support from behind."