K League 2 Scout: Central Midfielders
Star Central Midfielders
Lee Jin-hyeon (Daejeon Hana Citizen)
Kim Seon-min (Seoul E-Land)
29 year-old Kim Seon-min isn’t the tallest, but his contribution to Seoul E-Land’s impressive start to the season has been immense. Signed from Daegu, Kim is an experienced and composed midfielder who not only dictates the play for the Leopards, but also plays a vital part in shielding the defence. Kim ranks in the top five midfielders in the league for interceptions, dispossessions, and acquisitions.
Maeng Sung-ung (FC Anyang)
The future looks bright indeed for the 23 year-old, who is statistically one of the best midfielders in the league in terms of defensive contributions. Maeng leads the league for acquisitions (152) and dispossessions (87), and also ranks highly for interceptions and ground duels, highlighting his ability to break up opposition play. Now in his third year with Anyang, Korean U23 international Maeng is likely to attract interest from bigger clubs if he continues to thrive at the heart of Anyang’s midfield.
Jang Hyeok-jin (Gyeongnam FC)
Kim Jin-kyu (Busan IPark)
Lee Sang-min (Ansan Greeners)
Kim Hyeon-wook (Jeonnam Dragons)
Park Jin-seop (Daejeon Hana Citizen)
Jang Yun-ho (Seoul E-Land)
The former Jeonbuk midfielder made his move to Seoul permanent this season after impressing on loan last year. Another Korean youth international, Jang has made the weekly Best XI twice already this season. He has made 10 key passes so far this year, with one goal and one assist to his name.
Statistics
The following tables display the rankings of key contributions from players in the K League 2 so far in 2021. The rankings consist of any K League 2 players who play most often central midfield.![]() |
All statistics from data.kleague.com, correct as of 12 May 2021. |
Honourable Mentions Park Se-jik (Chungnam Asan) – The 31 year-old veteran has registered consistent numbers for Asan this season, with two assists and 15 key passes to his name alongside solid defensive contributions.
Hwang Ki-wook and Lee Hoo-gwon (Jeonnam Dragons) – 24 year-old Hwang was a former regular for the Korean youth teams, and is now part of a solid Jeonnam midfield unit alongside Lee, a defensive midfielder who had a journeyman career before settling in Gwangyang.
Kim Hyeon-tae (Ansan Greeners) – Like Lee Sang-min, Kim has started every game so far for Ansan.
Lee Hyeon-sik and Edinho (Daejeon Hana Citizen) – A former regular for Gangwon FC, Lee Hyeon-sik has played in all but one game for Daejeon so far this season. Edinho, an attacking midfielder with two goals and 13 key passes to his name, is also sometimes utilised in the front line.
Park Yong-woo and Jung Hyeon-cheol (Gimcheon Sangmu) – Composed passer Park has only just returned to the side after recovering from injury, and is expected to return to the K League 1 with Ulsan Hyundai in June. Defensive midfielder Jung meanwhile has become a regular since joining from FC Seoul.
Song Hong-min (Bucheon 1995) – Bucheon haven’t had many shining lights so far this season, but Song has played more minutes than most at the heart of midfield, and no midfielder in the league has completed more tackles (8).
Park Jong-woo (Busan IPark) - One of the league’s most combative defensive midfielders. He was the K League 1’s top tackler last season, but is currently out injured and isn’t expected to return until late summer.
Hong Chang-beom (FC Anyang) – The 22 year-old has been a regular alongside Maeng Sung-ung for Anyang, has already picked up five yellow cards in his eight pro appearances.


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