“Sejong, why can’t you make a mistake?” Lee Jung -hyo said, “The veteran thought everything should be perfect” (Lee Geun -seung’s mix zone)

One of the players trusted by Gwangju FC Lee Jung -hyo is Ju Se -jong (34). Lee said, “If you teach something, the speed of acceptance is very fast. It would be great if there were five or six players like Ju Sejong.”

Ju Sejong has a lot of experience. Ju Sejong made his professional debut at Busan I -Park in the 2012 season and went through FC Seoul, Asan Mugunghwa (dismantling), Gamba Osaka (Japan) and Daejeon Hana Citizen. Ju Se -jong left Daejeon after 2024 and wore a Gwangju uniform.

The reason why Ju Sejong chose Gwangju was clear. It was the presence of this director. Ju Se -jong says that half the season is still a lot of learning.

On July 2, Ju Se-jong started as a central midfielder in the 2025 season of the 2025 season with Ulsan HD, contributing to the team’s 1-0 victory.

It is a story that ‘MK Sports’ shared with Ju Se -jong who finished Ulsan on the 2nd.

Q. I caught Ulsan and headed for the Korean Cup semi -finals.

I am very happy to be able to win the strong team called Ulsan. We have achieved the Korea Cup semi -finals. It’s a pleasant day.

Q. Ulsan was not physically intact. Did you talk to your juniors before the game about this?

I didn’t say anything special. However, I took out my experience. We went to Ulsan after confronting the Asian Football Federation (AFC) Champions League Elite (ACLE) quarter-finals in Saudi Arabia in Saudi Arabia. It was a game that was played without any time lag adaptation. The body was not normal. Today was the opposite situation. I recalled the players and said, “Let’s make it strong from the first half.”

Q. Al Hilal, who played with Gwangju, captured Manchester City 4-3 in the FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 in the United States.

I know (laughs). We lost 0-7 to Al Hilal. Al Hilal beat Man City with four relatives. The players said, “We were with a really good team.” Many players said, “Al Hilal is like a real European team.”

Q. The Club World Cup, which was reorganized by FIFA, is being held. Is Gwangju athletes taking care of the Club World Cup?

Highlights seem to be seen. There is not enough time to take care of the game. Our coaching staff is taking care of the Club World Cup while being busy preparing for the game. Analyze good scenes and tactics and share it with the players. If the players want individually, this is also sorted.

Q. There was the first cooling brake in the 23rd minute today. The people watching the game were too hot and humid. How was the player running?

Last weekend (June 28) I went to the FC Anyang expedition. At that time, it rained and it stopped and it was enormous. Today, it was hot and humid. Summer is now (laughs). If the weather gets hotter, physical strength and concentration will be inevitable. As a result, mistakes come out more than usual. Who is more concentrated to win the game. You need to focus more and thoroughly.

Q. Korea Cup semifinals are K -League 2 Bucheon FC. Bucheon is a good team, but it is a member of the K -League 2. ‘Gwangju is ahead of objective power’Can’t you see it? Lee Jung -hyo also expressed his desire to win the Korea Cup.

Bucheon, like us, is a team that has won the Korean Cup semi -finals. There is no vigilance. You have to prepare thoroughly. If Lee Jung -hyo says, “I will win,” the players must believe in the manager. As the manager aims to win, the players will believe in the manager and prepare thoroughly.

We experienced ACLE in the 2024-25 season. This was the first time Gwangju was in the Asian Club. All members of Gwangju felt why they should go to this competition. If you get to the top of the Korea Cup, you can challenge the Asian stage once again. The players are huge motivation.

Q. Ju Se -jong is the highest player in Gwangju. But I don’t have a lot of time. Is there any regret in that part?

He is training with Lee Jung -hyo every day, and he is learning a lot by sweating with the team members. When I enter the game, I am trying to do what the manager is looking forward to. It doesn’t matter the time to play. It’s a professional to do my best to my role, whether it’s long or short. Even if you run one minute, you should be a player who will help the team while pouring out everything.

Q. Gwangju was a bit cluttered after the ACLE. I know that the players were confused. Ju Sejong has a lot of experience, but have you never experienced this? How did you manage mentor then? Is there a story to the confused juniors?

It is true that there were a lot of bad stories inside and outside the club. The players could shake. I wanted to focus on the game, starting with Lee Jung -hyo. Isn’t it a good player to play a good game? I wanted to focus more on the game. At the same time, I did not feel ‘difficult’. Our coaches do their best to create a better environment for the players, but there are some parts that are not intended.

We continued to pay attention to the game. At that time, I saw better performance. If we focused on what we had to do silently, we would have to look at our efforts from outside.

Q. Byun Junsu first wore a Taegeuk mark. Ju Sejong is a senior team who has also been to the World Cup. Did you advise your juniors?

(By) I’ve been breathing since I was in Daejeon. Junsu headed to Gwangju after the 2023 season. I have been playing in Gwangju since the 2025 season. I was surprised to see Junsu. My skills increased huge. The national team can be competitive enough. Junsu is not a nervous style. You can do it as usual.

Q. I feel eager when I see Ju Sejong playing in the game. What does the economy mean to Ju Sejong in 2025?

There was a compulsion until I came to Gwangju. ‘I have to play a senior role perfectly.’ ‘Senior should never go into the stadium and never make a mistake.’ I thought that I had to give trust and courage to my juniors while connecting a good pass every time. The idea was so strong that football was not as intended. I also felt like a limit.

In Gwangju, I changed a lot with director Lee Jung -hyo. I talk a lot with the bishop. One day, the bishop did to me. The director asked, “Sejong, good pass, good connection. But why can’t you make a mistake?” I couldn’t answer. Then the bishop said, “I want you to show you how to keep challenging without fear of mistake.”

I talked with the bishop and became comfortable. It is natural to do our best every moment as a pro. However, if you are afraid to fall, you can never develop. I would like to show you that anyone can fall. I want to teach you that if you fall, you can get up again. If you think about it. The seniors don’t challenge the lead, can the juniors can bold? I can’t be afraid of challenging and bumping, so my juniors can follow. Thanks to director Lee Jung -hyo, I seemed to have more football.

Q. How did you meet the leader who said, “Don’t be afraid of mistakes.”

What I heard a lot was, “You have to show a good look like a veteran.” It was the same when I was living in the national team. The leaders emphasized the veteran. “You shouldn’t make a mistake. You have to show good things to follow juniors.” As a result, I seemed to try to make it more perfect. The vision has narrowed and the performance has fallen.

Lee Jung -hyo told me, “Sejong, what’s embarrassing. If you make a mistake, you can make another player. Instead, when the other player made a mistake, you can make sure you fill it up. That’s the team. You have to do this for a long time. Our team can be a better team.” The director said to me, “Don’t be afraid of mistakes, bold.” I will continue to challenge when attacking or defending.

(Gwangju = Lee Geun -seung MK Sports Reporter)

(Ⓒ MK Sports, Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution)