End of an era? South Korea’s sun sets in the Premier League but Japan rise

After glory days of Park Ji-sung and Son Heung-min, the new season could be Korean-free for first time since 2005

It has been a cruel summer for South Korea. The national team crashed and burned at the World Cup, the police are investigating the football association, reports have emerged about bribes paid to foreign referees in 2011 and 2012 and there is a real prospect of the the English Premier League being Korean-free for the first time since 2005.

That was when Park Ji-sung signed for Manchester United, to start a love affair between the Land of the Morning Calm and England’s top tier that has continued ever since. Park won four titles and his mantle was taken over in 2015 by Son Heung-min at Spurs.