Kim Sung-gan
Japanese and South Korean association football player
About Kim Sung-gan
Lived 1912 – 1984 (aged 71). Kim Sung-gan was a Japanese association football player and association football coach.
Kim Sung-gan (, 17 November 1912 – 19 May 1984) was a South Korean football player and manager. He played 5 matches for the Japan national team when Korea was ruled by Japan, including 1 official match. He was the manager of the South Korean football team that won the 1956 AFC Asian Cup.
Playing career Born in Pyongyang (known at the time as "Heijō"), Kim started playing football when he was in elementary school. He played mostly for Yonhi College and Kyungsung FC after graduating from middle school. He won the 1935 Emperor's Cup, while playing for Kyungsung FC.
Managerial career Kim became a coach and an executive of the Korean FA after retiring as a player, and led South Korea to become inaugural champions at the AFC Asian Cup when being appointed manager.
Personal life Kim played soft tennis and basketball for a short while in early life. He participated in the All Joseon Soft Tennis Tournament in 1927, while playing soft tennis at Suncheon Shinsung Middle School. He played for basketball team "Nongwoo" (which meant "Basketball Friends") in the Pyongyang Basketball League in 1933 before transferring to Yonhi College.
Kim's son Kim Yeong-il was a Korean national basketball player, who participated in two Summer Olympics and won two major Asian titles (1969 ABC Championship and 1970 Asian Games). Yeong-il was found dead with his blood and head wounds near a railway on 23 May 1976.
Kim died on 29 May 1984, in a traffic collision in the United States.
Career statistics International + Appearances and goals by national team and year National team Year Apps GoalsJapan194010
Honours Player Kyungsung FC Emperor's Cup: 1935 Meiji Shrine Games: 1935
Manager South Korea AFC Asian Cup: 1956
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Important facts
People in Kim Sung-gan's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Kim Sung-gan's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Kim Sung-gan?
Japanese and South Korean association football player (1912-1984)
When was Kim Sung-gan born?
Kim Sung-gan was born on 17 November 1912 in Pyongyang.
When did Kim Sung-gan die?
Kim Sung-gan died on 29 May 1984 in Springfield, Illinois, United States.
What was Kim Sung-gan's occupation?
Kim Sung-gan was an association football player and association football coach.
What nationality was Kim Sung-gan?
Kim Sung-gan was Japanese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Kim Sung-gan. https://biography.guide/kim-sung-gan/
MLA: "Kim Sung-gan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/kim-sung-gan/.
Chicago: "Kim Sung-gan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/kim-sung-gan/.
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