18-year-old Makes K League History

Gbato Samuel became the first foreigner to be used as a home grown U22 player in the K League having come through FC Seoul's youth system

Samuel Gbato during the warm-up before his professional debut at Suwon FC. Courtesy of FC Seoul’s Instagram

Background

South Korea is widely known as a homogeneous country on the whole, and at the football level, there has never been a naturalized player in the national team—something that is common in many nations and increasingly prevalent in Asia, with Indonesia and China leading the way. Even for dual nationals like Jens Castrop, the path to representing Korea remains a contentious issue, with mandatory military service being one of many sticking points.

In the K League, opportunities for young foreign players who were either born in Korea to non-Korean parents or migrated at a young age have recently expanded. A new rule introduced this season allows these players to be classified as homegrown if they have developed through the Korean football youth system. This makes them eligible for the U22 rule, which applies in K1 and K2 to encourage clubs to field young players.

Unfortunately, this rule came too late for Samuel Pungi’s career. The Angolan-born Pungi joined Pohang Steelers in 2021 after progressing through the Korean youth system, having moved to the country at just six years old. However, he was unable to obtain naturalization and was therefore not recognized as a domestic player. Due to foreign player restrictions, Pohang was unable to register him, forcing him to leave the club. He faced similar barriers at other teams before eventually retiring.

Gbato Seloh Samuel