{"id":1879,"date":"2026-08-04T05:26:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T05:26:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=1879"},"modified":"2026-08-04T05:26:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T05:26:59","slug":"south-koreas-monster-comes-home-as-min-jae-kim-declares-himself-satisfied-with-bayern-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=1879","title":{"rendered":"South Korea\u2019s \u201cMonster\u201d comes home as Min-Jae Kim declares himself satisfied with Bayern role"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"South<\/div>

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\t\t\t\t\t1<\/i><\/p>\n

Min-Jae Kim (known to most English-speaking audiences as Kim Min-jae, as German outlets reverse the traditional Korean name order) appeared alongside head coach Vincent Kompany<\/a> at Bayern Munich\u2019s first press conference of their South Korean preseason stay, receiving the sort of attention normally reserved for the German champions\u2019 most prominent attacking stars.<\/p>\n

On Jeju, there was never much doubt which member of Bayern\u2019s travelling party would command centre stage. One South Korean newspaper announced the squad\u2019s arrival by declaring that \u201cThe Monster has landed\u201d\u2014a reference to the nickname Kim earned through his speed, physicality, and aggressive defending.<\/p>\n

Bayern are touring South Korea for the second time in three summers, and the soon-to-be 30-year-old has once again become the club\u2019s principal local attraction. Kim received a similarly enthusiastic welcome when the German record champions visited his homeland in 2024.<\/p>\n

For a player who generally maintains a low profile in Munich, the reception offers a temporary change of pace. In South Korea, every appearance becomes a home fixture and practically every touch of the ball draws a reaction.<\/p>\n

Kim embraces challenger role at Bayern<\/h3>\n

The warm homecoming arrives at a time when Kim\u2019s sporting status in Munich remains a regular subject of discussion. Bayern paid approximately \u20ac50m to sign the South Korean from Napoli in 2023 as a replacement for Paris Saint-Germain-bound Lucas Hern\u00e1ndez. Kim began as a regular under Thomas Tuchel but struggled for consistency and eventually lost his starting place to Eric Dier during the decisive phase of his first season.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Tah\u2019s subsequent arrival intensified the competition. Tah and Dayot Upamecano have since emerged as Kompany\u2019s preferred central-defensive partnership for Bayern\u2019s most important fixtures, leaving Kim to operate as an unusually accomplished reserve. Kim nevertheless remains firmly in Bayern\u2019s plans and intends to stay. Unlike Jo\u00e3o Palhinha, Bryan Zaragoza, and Sacha Boey, the defender has not been informed that he should seek another club.<\/p>\n

\u201cI played a relatively large number of matches in my own way last year,\u201d Kim said while sitting alongside Kompany. \u201cBecause I find myself in the position of the challenger, I have no choice but always to give my best on the training pitch.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of displaying poor performances or a poor attitude,\u201d Kim continued. \u201cI tried to work even harder. I think that if I continue in this manner, the coach will certainly give me many opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kim also described himself as fortunate to work under Kompany, praising the Bayern trainer\u2019s openness and detailed communication with his players.<\/p>\n

Kompany understands Kim\u2019s position<\/h3>\n

Kompany can relate personally to the fluctuating status of an elite central defender.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in Min-Jae\u2019s position, I was in Upa\u2019s position, and I was in Tah\u2019s position\u2014all within one cycle when I was a centre-back at Manchester City,\u201d the Belgian said.<\/p>\n

The Bayern head coach considers Kim\u2019s presence important to maintaining competition and standards throughout the squad. The South Korean\u2019s work ensures that Tah and Upamecano cannot relax even when the nominal hierarchy appears settled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I really have to credit Min-Jae for is that, no matter what happens, he retains his focus,\u201d Kompany said. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t say much away from the pitch.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn every situation, he has shown the right response: giving everything in training and giving everything on the pitch,\u201d Kompany continued. \u201cHis performances last season were really good for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kompany also rejected the tendency to reduce Bayern\u2019s central defenders to a simple ranking. Kim\u2019s performances in training and competitive fixtures help push every player competing for the same position.<\/p>\n

Bayern\u2019s quiet comedian takes centre stage<\/h3>\n

Kim\u2019s imposing \u201cMonster\u201d persona apparently disappears inside the Bayern dressing room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think most people know that he has an incredible sense of humour,\u201d Kompany revealed with Kim seated beside him. \u201cEvery time, the teammate next to him starts laughing because Min-Jae has said something.\u201d<\/p>\n

The disclosure adds a different dimension to a player typically known for keeping his public comments brief and allowing his defending to speak for him.<\/p>\n

South Korean supporters may see their fearsome defensive superstar. His Bayern teammates evidently know another version: the quiet centre-back whose well-timed remarks keep catching the rest of the defensive unit off guard.<\/p>\n

Kim may presently occupy the role of challenger in Munich, but there was no mistaking the hierarchy during Monday\u2019s press conference. On Jeju, the \u201cMonster\u201d was the main event.<\/p>\n

Whatever order his name appears in, South Korea belongs to Kim.<\/p>\n

GGFN<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Peter Weis<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 Min-Jae Kim (known to most English-speaking audiences as Kim Min-jae, as German outlets reverse the traditional Korean name order) appeared alongside head coach Vincent Kompany at Bayern Munich\u2019s first press conference of their South Korean preseason stay, receiving the sort of attention normally reserved for the German champions\u2019 most prominent attacking stars. On Jeju,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1880,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.getfootballnewsgermany.com\/assets\/fc-bayern-munchen-v-paris-saint-germain-uefa-champions-league-2025-26-semi-final-second-leg-5-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[1489,3552,388,2935,3549,3551,3550,2451,3553,1795],"class_list":["post-1879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football","tag-bayern","tag-declares","tag-home","tag-kim","tag-koreas","tag-minjae","tag-monster","tag-role","tag-satisfied","tag-south"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1879"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1880"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}