The roar of exultation from the Korean monster as he celebrated a timely block like a winning goal has been widely shared in picture and video form.
As Milan technical director Paolo Maldini despaired from up high in a packed San Siro, Napoli central defender Kim Min-jae screamed in delight after an acrobatic clearance to deny Brahim Díaz.
It was a challenge worthy of all-time Milan and Italy great Maldini and led to an emotional embrace between Kim and goalkeeper Alex Meret just before the final whistle in the Parteonpei’s dramatic 2-1 top of the table victory.
It perfectly illustrated the passion and commitment of a defender tasked with replacing not only a Napoli legend but one of the best centre-backs in the world.
Kim – who was named Serie A player of the month for September – had openly talked about the burden of being regarded as a like for like replacement for the great Kalidou Koulibaly before the campaign began.
Comparisons between the two may excite duelling keyboard warriors on social media but seem pointless considering the vastly different backgrounds and capabilities of the defenders.
Nonetheless Kim has already won over a sizeable portion of the sceptics in the opening seven rounds of the championship. Georgian wing magician Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has overshadowed all the club’s new signings with a series of sensational performances to propel Napoli to first place in the standings. Kim’s progress has not dominated the headlines in the same way but his impact should not be underestimated.
There have been tentative and nervous moments as the South Korean international adjusted and it might take him the entire campaign to fully adapt to Italian football.
Yet despite a few scares, particularly in the first couple of league games and in a breakneck opening onslaught at Rangers in the Champions League, Kim has stood firm alongside the equally impressive Amir Rrahmani at the heart of the Napoli defence.
Deceptively quick, solid in possession and dangerous from set-pieces Kim has already registered two headed goals and relishes the physical demands of defending, earning him an uncompromising nickname early on in his career.
Unafraid to embrace new challenges, the 25-year-old centre-back is far from the untested prospect dismissed by uninformed observers when he arrived from Turkish giants Fenerbahçe.
Identified as one of the best youngsters in South Korea as a teenager, he progressed all the way from the nation’s under-16 squad to the national team and won two K-League titles with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
Baseball dominates the landscape in a country which deifies its sporting heroes. Yet nothing unites South Korea like the Taegeuk Warriors and millions gather across the Asian nation whenever the national football team is in action.
While the level of scrutiny is not as merciless and exacting as in Italy, Kim is part of a squad which is expected to win every game, regardless of the opposition. It’s no cakewalk either with Japan, Australia and Iran among others providing fierce competition especially during rigorous World Cup qualification matches. Unfazed by the intense pressure he has won 42 international caps and embarked on an unconventional career path.
Kim could have won multiple titles at home but instead opted to spend just over two seasons in China at Beijing Guoan and thrived in the ferocious Istanbul goldfish bowl last term at Fenerbahçe.
Long admired by clubs in the English Premier League, the defender has resisted the urge to join the cash cavalcade despite consistent stories connecting him with a move to team up with compatriot Son Heung-min at Tottenham Hotspur.
Few transfer experts would have chosen Napoli as his preferred destination but Kim’s devotion to the Gli Azzurri cause is unquestionable, exemplified in the block which stunned the San Siro.
The moment has already been immortalized as a rallying cry for a club which many predicted would fall out of top four contention when icons Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens and Koulibaly left in the summer.
Kim has the character – as shown in some nifty dance moves to Psy’s Gangnam Style in his initiation song – and temperament to become a dependable mainstay at Napoli.
Koulibaly will never be forgotten, but the early signs suggest the best is yet to come from the Korean monster who is steadily building his own reputation at the Stadio Diego Maradona.
This article featured on the Football Italia website on Friday, September 30, 2022.
Stephen Kasiewicz 