Korea’s Premier Leaguers to Clash

“Can they at least have a chance to shake their hands on the pitch this time?”

Park Ji-sung (Manchester United) and Seol Ki-hyeon (Reading FC), two Koreans playing in the English Premier League, will meet in the fifth round (round of 16) of the FA Cup.

As a result of the fifth round draw conducted by the English Football Association on January 29, Manchester United will play Reading for a ticket to the quarterfinals at their home ground at Old Trafford on February 18. It will be their second rendezvous on the pitch after more than a year since the FA Cup match on January 29 last year, when Seol was in a Wolverhampton jersey.

Ever since Seol became the third Korean Premier Leaguer, he has had two chances in the regular season to play against Manchester United, but he did not face Park in either match. In the first match, Park was sidelined due to injury; in the second match, Park was substituted for after the first half, while Seol only played in the second half.

yjongk@donga.com