Who Is Park Seung-soo? Teenage South Korean Footballer Signs with Newcastle United

18-year-old South Korean winger Park Seung-soo has signed with Newcastle United from Suwon Bluewings. Park, who has featured five times for South Korea's Under-20 national team, scored once and provided three assists in 28 senior appearances in K League 2.

He will initially join Newcastle’s Under-21 squad as he begins his journey with the Magpies.

“It’s a huge honour to join Newcastle United.” he said. “It’s a big step for me and I feel incredibly thankful for the faith the club have shown in me. I’m excited to develop here, learn from the coaches, and give everything to become the best player I can be.”

Academy director Steve Harper added: “Park is an exciting young talent with real potential.

“He’s already shown maturity beyond his years in a competitive environment. His signing reflects our commitment to identifying and developing elite talent from across the globe.”

Who is Park Seung-soo?

Park Seung-soo is the latest rising star to emerge from the Suwon Bluewings academy and make a move abroad. In June 2024, he made his senior debut in a Korean Cup Round of 16 clash against the Pohang Steelers.

It was a standout performance—Park assisted fellow academy product Jeon Jin-woo and then scored Suwon’s first goal in extra time, just a few months after turning 17. Unfortunately, Pohang managed to equalize in the dying seconds and went on to knock Suwon out in a penalty shootout—a tough break for the young talent.

Still, Park had clearly made an impression. Four days later, new Suwon manager Byun Sung-hwan named him on the bench for a league match against Seongnam FC. When Park came on in the 71st minute, he made history as the youngest player ever to appear in a K League 2 match.

Over the next month, Suwon’s rising star continued to break records. At just 17 years, 3 months, and 13 days old, Park Suwon became the youngest goal scorer in K League 2 history with his equalizing goal against Ansan Greeners.

It didn’t take long for Park to win over Suwon fans. His relentless energy, determination, and growing dribbling skills instantly made him a fan favorite.

Despite being 18, Park still looks like a kid—some say he barely looks ten. His goal celebration quickly caught on with supporters, especially those in the North Stand, who began to mimic it. His remarkable talent at such a young age didn’t go unnoticed. Newcastle United scouts were impressed after watching him play and moved swiftly to bring him into their academy to nurture his development.

Park has now officially left Suwon. His departure follows a promising spell with his boyhood club, where he featured in three Korean Cup matches and 25 K League 2 games (including six starts). During that time, he contributed three assists and scored one goal.

Park Seung-soo’s Playing Style

His ability to dribble is his strength. He used to play as a traditional number nine before switching to the left wing, and now he combines his speed, quick feet, and clever movement to beat defenders. His acceleration is impressive, and he’s not afraid to take players on.

That said, there are areas he needs to improve — especially his final pass and his defensive contribution. He’s still young, and adjusting to life at Newcastle will take time. Moving to the other side of the world means adapting to a completely new culture, a different style of football, and learning a new language. Both Park and Newcastle fans will need patience as he settles in and grows into his role.

Cover Credits - BBC