Yoo Yeon-soo, the goalkeeper of Jeju in the professional soccer K League 1 (first division), who suffered a traffic accident by a drunk driving vehicle, will eventually take off his uniform. He had been working on rehabilitation for about a year after surgery, but the decision was made after judging that recovery was difficult. Yoo Yeon-soo is 25 years old this year.
The Jeju club announced on social media on the 8th, "Yoo Yeon-soo, who was seriously injured in an unexpected car accident a year ago, will stand in front of fans for the first time in a long time," adding, "In fact, I sadly say goodbye as a player." In October last year, Yoo Yeon-soo was hit by a negative driving vehicle while driving with his teammates in Seogwipo, Jeju. Yoo Yeon-soo was injured the most among the passengers of the affected vehicle. Yoo Yeon-soo, who suffered from paraplegia in the accident, has been undergoing rehabilitation treatment, but eventually decided to retire at an early age. An official from the Jeju club said, "Yoo Yeon-soo seems to have judged that his career is no longer difficult."
Yoo Yeon-soo made his professional debut in 2020 in Jeju, then in the second division. Although he was not the team's main goalkeeper, he was evaluated as a promising player by building up his skills as a backup goalkeeper. The Jeju club left Yoo Yeon-soo's uniform number 31 as it was this season, and also called his name when introducing the player. However, Yoo Yeon-soo finally failed to return to the ground and decided to say goodbye in front of the fans.
Yoo Yeon-soo said through the club, "I was so sad to think that I couldn't play soccer rather than walking after the accident," adding, "Because there are sports for the disabled, I'm going to try out sports such as basketball, table tennis and fencing." The Jeju club decided to hold a retirement ceremony for Yoo Yeon-soo on the ground after the first half of the K League 1 home game against Seoul at the Jeju World Cup Stadium on the 11th. A signing event where Yoo Yeon-soo and fans meet will be held next to the stadium ticket office from 3:30 p.m., an hour before the start of the game.