Kim Shin-wook

Kim Shin-wook (; ; born 14 April 1988) is a South Korean former professional footballer who played as a striker.

Club career Ulsan Hyundai Kim spent his youth training either as a central defender or defensive midfielder, but upon suggestion by his manager, he changed his position into a forward a few weeks after signing his first professional contract with K League club Ulsan Hyundai.

Kim was a very influential figure during Ulsan's road to the 2012 AFC Champions League title. When he showed his abilities as a target man as well as scoring six goals at the tournament, he started to be called "The Attack Titan" or "Chinook".

Shanghai Shenhua On 8 July 2019, Kim joined Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua and was reunited with his manager at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Choi Kang-hee. He would make his debut in a league game against Hebei where he also scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 defeat. After that game Kim quickly established himself as an integral member of the team and he would personally score 10 goals in 15 games as the club moved away from the relegation zone and went on to win the 2019 Chinese FA Cup.

Lion City Sailors On 15 November 2021, Kim joined Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors on a three-year contract reportedly worth more than S$3 million, after his contract at Shanghai had ended. He would make his debut in the 2022 Singapore Community Shield game against Albirex Niigata (S) where he scored his first goal and a brace for the club in a 2–1 win, winning his first silverware with the Sailors in a dream debut.

On 1 April, Kim scored his first hat-trick for the Sailors, as the club cruised to a 4–0 victory against Balestier Khalsa during the 2022 Singapore Premier League season. On 6 May, Kim scored his second hat-trick in a 4–3 home win against Hougang United. He would then go on to scored his third hat-trick against Young Lions in the club biggest ever 10–1 win on 13 August. Kim recorded his fourth hat-trick for the club on 26 August in a 9–4 away win against Hougang United.

Kitchee On 2 February 2023, Kim officially joined Hong Kong Premier League club Kitchee on a free transfer, signing a contract until 2026. He made his debut for the club on 4 March in a 4–0 league win against HK U23.

Being unable to score in the 2022–23 season after making 7 appearances in all competitions, there are rumours that Kitchee was going to terminate Kim’s contract. However, Kim still appears on the team squad in the 2023–24 season and on 27 August 2023, he scored a hat-trick on his first appearance in the league against HKFC in a 8–0 win. On 8 November 2023, Kim became the first player to play in the AFC Champions League with 5 different clubs after coming on as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against Thailand side Bangkok United. On 4 November 2023, he scored a brace during the Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield in a 7–0 against Resources Capital. On 13 December 2023, Kim played in the final AFC Champions League group stage fixture against his former club Lion City Sailors at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

Kim appears again in the Kitchee first team in the 2025–26 season, coming on as a substitute against Rangers in the Hong Kong League Cup and scoring a header. He came on as a sub again in the league game against Kowloon City but failed to score.

On 22 December 2025, it was announced that Kim's contract had been terminated by the club due to a "serious breach of Kitchee's Code of Conduct." He made 16 appearances and six goals for three years at the club.

International career Kim was selected for the South Korean squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and his aerial duels against Algerian and Belgian players received compliments from the South Korean press. He was expected to dominate the air at the 2018 FIFA World Cup like at the previous tournament, but he reproached himself for his performance against Sweden after the tournament.

In October 2014, Kim and his teammates were exempted from military service after winning a gold at the 2014 Asian Games.

Personal life Kim is known to be a devout Christian who reads the bible before games and is nicknamed "church brother" by his teammates. He sometimes participates in evangelizing activities.

Style of play A tall forward, with a slender physique, Kim was known for possessing a good first touch, as well as an eye for goal; however, he was also known for his lack of significant pace, strength, power, and athleticism, while his movement occasionally came under criticism from fans. He usually played as a target man in a striker role throughout his career due to his ability to hold up the ball with his back to goal and link-up with his teammates. Although he was criticised in his youth for his limited ability in the air, despite his height, and for his inability to out–jump other players, he was also known for his longevity, and had a penchant for scoring acrobatic goals from bicycle kicks.

Career statistics Club

International updated|9 June 2021|

Honours Ulsan Hyundai Korean League Cup: 2011 AFC Champions League: 2012

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors K League 1: 2017, 2018 AFC Champions League: 2016

Shanghai Shenhua Chinese FA Cup: 2019

Lion City Sailors Singapore Community Shield: 2022 K League All-Star: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 K League 1 Most Valuable Player: 2013 K League 1 Best XI: 2013 EAFF Championship top goalscorer: 2017 AFC Champions League All-Star Squad: 2018 K League Player of the Month: May 2019