A legendary figure in her country’s women’s game, former Korea Republic (South Korea) captain Cho So-hyun is into a seventh season in England. Heading for the Second City last September, her WSL-chasing Birmingham City team lead the Championship at the time of writing.
Just as the deftness of her midfield craft remains, the 36-year-old’s ambitions haven’t diminished; the goalscorer who helped put a dagger through Germany’s World Cup hopes in 2023 is set on returning to that very stage, with grand post-playing plans to match.
SK: Hi, Cho – annyeonghaseyo (attempt at a Korean greeting). Was that any good?!
Cho SH: Yeah, that’s good!
SK: Thank you, though, for trying this interview in English! Firstly, tell us about why Birmingham has been somewhere that you wanted to stay. What do you like about the city and the club?
Cho SH: I like the city centre actually, because there are many restaurants and coffee shops, and a lot of good places. I think as a team, we work hard together, and we try to get promoted for next season. I have good teammates, so that’s why I wanted to stay here.
SK: How did becoming the vice-captain of the team make you feel? And the times when you’ve actually worn the armband when (captain) Christie (Harrison-Murray) hasn’t been playing?
Cho SH: To be honest, I felt quite nervous! Because we have a different culture in South Korea to England, so I think I have to show more leadership face to face than just (with what I do) on the pitch. It’s quite different in South Korea, where I didn’t say anything (as captain of the national team); I just showed through my actions all over the pitch. So, I always feel nervous; if I’m playing without Christie, I always (look around and) think ‘where’s Christie?!’ I always work hard and learn from Christie.
SK: As a team, do you often spend time with each other away from football?
Cho SH: I normally stay at home and chill, but sometimes I spend time with teammates, like Christie, Ivi (Ivana Fuso), (Choe) Yu-ri, and others – I think I have a lot of friends!
SK: When you’re at home and you like to chill, what does that involve?
Cho SH: I watch Netflix and YouTube, and sometimes I play piano or guitar. Sometimes I study English or other languages.
SK: How long have you been playing piano and guitar?
Cho SH: When I was like…eight, I played piano, but I just stopped when I started football. But when I started to think that my mentality wasn’t that great, I wanted to try and spend time doing other hobbies. That’s why I played piano, and then my stress just went down, so it’s helpful for me. Guitar, that’s new – that’s why my finger is quite sore! (I decided to start playing) because I can bring it with me when I go places.
SK: Which songs do you play?
Cho SH: Just Korean songs – the beginning (of them)!
SK: Who makes you laugh the most in the team?
Cho SH: I can say Quinny (Lucy Quinn), because I worked with Quinny at Tottenham before Birmingham, so I already knew she’s quite crazy and funny. She always makes me laugh and smile; I like her jokes.
SK: How much does it help you to have other Korean players here (Choe Yu-ri and Lee Geum-min)? Do you just enjoy getting to talk sometimes in Korean about different things?
Cho SH: When I was at West Ham and Tottenham, I was the only Korean, so it’s quite different. If I can speak Korean, I feel more confident and comfortable, and I feel like my stress goes down. Sometimes, we just talk about life, and football; more football, I think, and how we’re doing for this team.
SK: You’ve been in England now for almost six years. What made you want to stay for this long?
Cho SH: I think I enjoy the football here, because the English leagues are getting better over the last five years. Great players join clubs in England, and then we can compete more with each other. I think in South Korea, there isn’t competition; that’s why I wanted to stay here.
SK: Do you feel a little bit English now?!
Cho SH: Just a little bit!
SK: You chose to stay here in England but have there been opportunities to go back to play in Korea, like when (former Chelsea midfielder) Ji (So-yun) went to Suwon? Or even opportunities with teams from other countries?
Cho SH: I like to explore every country, because I’m a senior player in South Korea, so I just want to learn more about other countries; here and any other country as well. Because if I get good experience in other countries, I can give some detail or advice to the younger generation (back home). I’m always open to going everywhere.
SK: It’s amazing that you can speak English so well now. How hard has it been to learn? Apart from football, has anything helped you, like music, Netflix etc.?
Cho SH: When I’m watching Netflix, if I watch English series, I use Korean subtitles; or sometimes I just remove them and try to listen more. I think our language and English, it’s a massive difference! I tried to learn English in South Korea, but I think it was quite different accents when I played in Norway; the Brazilian players have like American accents (when they speak English). That’s why when I came here, even saying ‘hello, how are you?’ (was different) – it was ‘you all right?!’ I didn’t understand actually! I was (sitting) next to my agent and he said, ‘You understand?’ ‘No!’
SK: When you first came here, to West Ham, did any players teach you some new words…that you probably shouldn’t repeat?!
Cho SH: Leanne Kiernan, she’s playing at Liverpool now, she always said, ‘Yeah, it’s good weather innit?’ (I was like) ‘Innit? Yeah, okay, I’ll try (to understand)!’
SK: Do you feel like you’ve changed as a person since you first arrived?
Cho SH: Yeah, I think when I was growing up in South Korea, I was quite strict; I always thought ‘I need to be on time, I need to do this…’ I always thought that what I think is correct, I never thought it was wrong. Then when I came here, it’s quite different; the players show their character or their emotion, so then I understand more and open my mind.
SK: What about the style of football in England, how much did you have to learn a new way of playing? How different was it to what you experienced in other countries?
Cho SH: I think this country is a lot of transition, but in Norway, they are quite physical – like no football, just physical! And in Japan, as you know, they are playing tiki-taka, always sticking together.
SK: Is the style with the national team becoming more physical now, or changing in other ways?
Cho SH: We have a new manager now (Shin Sang-woo, who succeeded Colin Bell); I think they want us to play more tiki-taka. But compared to the last head coach, he liked more direct play, more transition.
SK: How good do you think Korean food is in England? As good as back home?!
Cho SH: It’s great. A little bit different from South Korea, but I think Birmingham has good Korean restaurants; it’s better than London, I think.
SK: What is your favourite?
Cho SH: I think Korean barbecue – that’s amazing!
SK: You actually went to Buckingham Palace last year, as a guest for the state banquet for the president of Republic of Korea. What was that experience like?
Cho SH: I felt nervous, because there were a lot of security, and they checked my bag, and they had all of these cars passing through! When I sat down, two English people were sat there, I felt quite nervous, and then someone asked me, ‘What’s your name? Where are you from? What’s your job?’ ‘I’m a football player.’ Then he said, ‘Oh, what team?’ ‘Birmingham City.’ ‘Oh, nice!’ Then I said to him, ‘I have no idea why I’m here!’ He said, ‘What’s your job?’ ‘I’m a football player.’ ‘That’s why you are here.’ He said, ‘You should be proud of yourself.’ ‘Oh, thank you very much!’
SK: Did you get to meet (Korean girl group) Blackpink? Are you a fan?
Cho SH: Yeah, I just said hello! Because they looked nervous, I think. I’m quite proud of them, because they are big now around the world. Some people ask, ‘Where are you from?’ ‘I’m from South Korea’ ‘Oh, do you know BTS, or Blackpink?’ Then we just talk about (pop) idols and communicate.
“We can win this league. I don’t think about the opposition team actually, I always focus on our team first. If our players stick together and link up, work hard as a team, nobody will beat us, I think.”
SK: Here at Birmingham, what does your coach, Amy (Merricks) ask you to do in games? What kind of role does she want you to play?
Cho SH: She didn’t say much but she said to me, ‘When you are on the pitch, you have to lead the team, and give your experience to the young players.’ She wants me to share my experience.
SK: In the Championship, we’re seeing a lot of strong teams, and for example, the quality of players that London City Lionesses and Newcastle are bringing in. Does this league feel like it’s getting harder to win?
Cho SH: No, we can win this league. I don’t think about the opposition team actually, I always focus on our team first. If our players stick together and link up, work hard as a team, nobody will beat us, I think. I always think positively.
SK: With football and in general, what was life like for you growing up in Seoul?
Cho SH: I have a brother; he was a football player as well. When my brother started football, I just said, ‘I want to do that,’ to my mum. It’s quite funny, we always stick together; if I do something, my younger brother always follows me. Then, when my younger brother wants to do something, I always follow him. That’s why we started football together. My mum said, ‘Do you remember what you said?’ ‘This is not your life, this is my life – I have to start playing football!’ That’s what I said to my mum! So, when she reminded me, I was shocked – ‘Did I say that?! I’m sorry, Mum!’
“My goal (with the national team) is I want to play in the next World Cup (in 2027).”
SK: The World Cup goal you scored last year (to put Korea Republic ahead in the group game) against Germany was a pretty huge one (with a 1-1 draw ultimately eliminating Germany). What is your favourite goal?
Cho SH: My favourite goal is (against) Spain (in the 2015 World Cup), because we were losing the game 1-0, and then when we started the second half, I thought ‘I have to do something for this team,’ because I was captain. I got a chance and then I scored (to equalise), and I thought ‘oh, maybe we could win this game, and go through to the round of 16.’ Then we won the game (2-1, the team’s first and only World Cup win to date) – I can’t say anything (to describe the feeling) actually!
SK: In terms of your future with the national team, do you want to keep playing for more years?
Cho SH: Yeah, I want to continue to play for the national team; my goal is I want to play in the next World Cup (in Brazil in 2027).
SK: How much does it feel like football for girls and women in Korea has changed since you were growing up? Does it feel like there’s more support around you now, from the public and the federation?
Cho SH: I don’t feel like they support us; compared to the men’s team, it’s not great. To be honest, I feel like they don’t want to invest in the women’s football team. Since 2015, the number of elite players is getting lower, so I’m really sad actually, because if they invest in women’s football, I’m sure we could reach the quarter-final or semi-final; we need to do that. We can see Japan doing that. So, I hope they invest more.
SK: What else do you think the team needs to become one of the best in the world?
Cho SH: If we compare to Japan, North Korea, China, they have their own style, but we don’t have it yet. But the new head coach said he will look at the players first and then he wants to show our way of playing. We have more friendly games against top teams, like USA, France, Germany, and we have to get more experience, because we’ve changed 12 players now compared to the last squad list, so they have to get more experience for them.
SK: And do you still want to stay in football after you stop playing? Is it correct that you want to be a general manager?
Cho SH: Yeah, I want to be a general manager in South Korea. I just want to create a new team and make it different to other clubs, because we have a different system in South Korea to the WSL and Championship. So, I just want to get some players to join my team – that’s my ambition!
INTERVIEW: Chris Brookes IMAGES: Birmingham City FC & Sports Press Photo
