Dejan, the first foreign player to compete with Lee Dong-gook, never imagined such a moment when he first came in 2007
Sep 16, 2025
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It was Dejan's emotion to 'Legendary Goal Scorers'. The Korea Professional Football Federation held the 2nd 'K League Hall of Fame' induction ceremony at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul on the 16th. The K-League Hall of Fame was established in 2023 to honor the history and tradition of Korean professional football and to publicize the contributions of those who contributed to the development of the K-League. It operates in three categories: athletes, leaders, and contributors, and inductees are selected every two years.
Kim Joo-sung, Kim Byung-ji, the late Yoo Sang-cheol, and Deyan in the player category, former Suwon Samsung coach Kim Ho in the leader category, and Chung Mong-joon, honorary chairman of the Korea Football Association, in the contributor category. Choi Soon-ho, Hong Myung-bo, Shin Tae-yong, Lee Dong-guk, former coach Kim Jung-nam, and late POSCO Honorary Chairman Park Tae-joon were inducted at the first Hall of Fame in 2023.
At this year's induction ceremony, various programs were prepared to commemorate their performances and achievements by welcoming new inductees. Footballers with special ties to the inductees took the stage to introduce the contributions of the inductees and read their recommendations. A video showing the past performances of the inductees was also screened.
The inductee was awarded a trophy symbolizing the Hall of Fame's induction along with a certificate of induction recording their achievements in the K League. The trophy was embedded with a solid gold medal engraved with the symbol of the Hall of Fame, adding to the meaning of the induction.
Dejan was the first foreign player to be inducted into the K League Hall of Fame. Dejan has played in the K-League only in Seoul, Suwon, and Daegu for a total of 12 years since his K-League debut in Incheon in 2007. Dejan showed his overwhelming presence on the front line by playing 380 games in the K League (including the League Cup) and scoring 198 goals and 48 assists. From 2010 to 2013, he was selected as the best-Eleven in the striker category for four consecutive years, and in 2012, he won the K-League MVP and the top scorer at the same time. Dejan, the best goal scorer in the K-League, who was famous for an era, ranks second in K-League scoring after Lee Dong-guk (228 goals).
The recommended person was Lee Dong-guk, technical director of Yongin FC. Lee Dong-gook competed fiercely with Dejan for the top scorer. Lee Dong-guk said, "Dejan and I competed fiercely at the same time. He was always a threat to his opponents. When I was active, I thought of Dejan's strengths, but I couldn't pick one or two. He was a perfect striker from positioning to finishing. According to the record, he scored double digits in 10 out of 12 seasons. The K-League is tough, so it's hard for a foreign player to do it without ups and downs for more than 10 years, but he did it. The three-time top scorer and one MVP are also great, but scoring double digits in 10 seasons is a record that is hard to break in the future. Beyond the best foreign player, he has become a K-League history itself."
Dejan, who was on stage, said "I'm glad to be back in Korea. When I came to Korea in 2007, I didn't know that I would achieve many scores, records, and wins. I am happy to become a legend in the K League. I'm grateful to the coaches, players, staff, especially the family who helped me. Finally, it's an honor to be here with the legends, players, and leaders. It's an honor to win such a big award."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
