Kim Pan-gon


Kim Pan-Gon is a South Korean football manager who is currently chief of the South Korea national team supervisory committee. Kim holds the AFC Professional Football Coaching Diploma, the highest football coaching qualification in Asia.
He was the manager of the Hong Kong national team and U-23 team, leading the former to claim the 2010 East Asian Football Championship.

Playing career

Kim Pan-Gon played for K League clubs Ulsan Hyundai and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors before arriving Hong Kong to play for Instant-Dict in 2000. His left foot freekicks and fighting spirit earned him praise from the fans. He moved to Double Flower after Instant-Dict pulled out. In 2003, he became player-manager at Buler Rangers and retired as a player at the end of the season.

Managerial career

South China AA and Hong Kong national football team

Kim returned to South Korea in 2004 and earned his Professional Coaching License, at the time only 5 men in Korea held the same qualification. Hong Kong association football expert Kwok Ka Ming was his lecturer of the coaching lesson. After a few years working in the Korean League, he became the manager of Hong Kong First Division League giant South China from 2008. He is known for greatly improving the physical fitness of the Hong Kong players. He led the team to the semi-final of the 2009 AFC Cup, but lost to Kuwait SC.
He was also the manager of the Hong Kong national football team and Hong Kong U-23 from August 2009 to March 2010, during which time he led the senior team to the finals of the 2010 East Asian Football Championship and the U-23 team to victory in the Football at the 2009 East Asian Games football tournament.
On 11 December 2010, after a 3-4 defeat by Kitchee, Kim Pan-Gon resigned from the post of South China team manager, citing health reasons that required him to recuperate back in South Korea.

Gyeongnam FC

After returning to South Korea, Kim Pan-Gon became the strategic consultant for Gyeongnam FC as well as physical fitness consultant for South China

Hong Kong National Academy

Kim Pan-Gon suddenly appeared in Hong Kong on 5 October 2011, he claimed to the media that his health has recovered and he has applied last week to the HKFA to be the new Hong Kong national football team coach. He also confirmed that his contract with Gyeongnam FC still has one year to run, but he will be released if he is appointed by the HKFA.
Kim Pan-Gon was appointed National Academy Coach by the HKFA on 22 December 2011. He was wholly responsible for the identification, development and coaching of all players aged 18 and below. He took up the position of acting head coach of Hong Kong national football team in November 2012 following the resignation of former head coach Ernie Merrick.
Following the team's impressive performance under Kim, the Hong Kong Football Association confirmed Kim as the permanent head coach of the Hong Kong national football team on 28 May 2013. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the HKFA.
"KIMOUT" was a slogan of Hong Kong football fans for urging him to step down due to his bad performance in the last round of 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification.

South Korea national team hiring committee

On 26 December 2017, Kim was appointed by the Korea Football Association to be the chief of the South Korea national team supervisory committee. He is responsible for hiring coaches for the South Korea national team and its U-23 squad.

Personal life

He resides in Hong Kong with his wife, son and daughter.

Club career

He played for Korean clubs Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, before moving to Hong Kong where he played for Instant-Dict/Double Flower and Buler Rangers.

Management career

Hong Kong national football team

As of 17 November 2015
#DateVenueOpponentResultCompetition
123 August 2009World Games Stadium, Kaohsiung, Taiwan4 – 02010 EAFF Championship Semi-Final
225 August 2009World Games Stadium, Kaohsiung, Taiwan0 – 02010 EAFF Championship Semi-Final
327 August 2009World Games Stadium, Kaohsiung, Taiwan12 – 02010 EAFF Championship Semi-Final
49 October 2009Outsourcing Stadium, Shizuoka, Japan0 – 62011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
518 November 2009Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong0 – 42011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
Abs.6 January 2010National Stadium, Madinat 'Isa, Bahrain0 – 42011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
67 February 2010Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan0 – 52010 East Asian Football Championship
711 February 2010Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan0 – 32010 East Asian Football Championship
814 February 2010Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan0 – 22010 East Asian Football Championship
93 March 2010Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong0 – 02011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1014 November 2012Bukit Jalil Stadium, Malaysia1 – 1Friendly
111 December 2012Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong2 – 12013 EAFF East Asian Cup#preliminary round 2
123 December 2012Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong0 – 12013 EAFF East Asian Cup#preliminary round 2
137 December 2012Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong2 – 02013 EAFF East Asian Cup#preliminary round 2
149 December 2012Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong0 – 42013 EAFF East Asian Cup#preliminary round 2
156 February 2013Pakhtakor Markaziy Stadium, Uzbekistan0 – 02015 AFC Asian Cup qualification
1622 March 2013Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong1 – 02015 AFC Asian Cup qualification
174 June 2013Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong0 – 1Friendly
186 September 2013Myanmar Youth Training Centre, Myanmar0 – 0Friendly
1910 September 2013Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong1 – 0Friendly
2015 October 2013Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong0 – 42015 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2115 November 2013Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, United Arab Emirates0 – 42015 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2219 November 2013Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong0 – 22015 AFC Asian Cup qualification
235 March 2014My Dinh Stadium, Vietnam1 – 32015 AFC Asian Cup qualification
246 September 2014Lach Tray Stadium, Vietnam1 – 3Friendly
259 September 2014Hougang Stadium, Singapore0 – 0Friendly
2610 October 2014Mongkok Stadium, Hong Kong2 – 1Friendly
2714 October 2014Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong0 – 7Friendly
2813 November 2014Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taiwan1 – 22015 EAFF East Asian Cup
2916 November 2014Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taiwan1 – 02015 EAFF East Asian Cup
3019 November 2014Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taiwan0 – 02015 EAFF East Asian Cup
3128 March 2015Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong1 – 0Friendly
326 June 2015Shah Alam Stadium, Malaysia0 – 0Friendly
3311 June 2015Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong7 – 02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
3416 June 2015Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong2 – 02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
353 Sep 2015Bao'an Stadium, Shenzhen, China0 – 02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
368 Sep 2015Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong2 – 32018 FIFA World Cup qualification
379 Oct 2015Rajamangala Stadium, Thailand0 – 1Friendly
3813 Oct 2015Changlimithang Stadium, Bhutan1 – 02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
397 Nov 2015Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong5 – 0Friendly
4012 Nov 2015National Football Stadium, Maldives1 – 02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
4117 Nov 2015Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong0 – 02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
4225 Mar 2016Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Qatar0 – 22018 FIFA World Cup qualification