While South Korea finished the 2002 FIFA World Cup in fourth place, Song was the only outfield player of the South Korean team to play all of 687 minutes in seven matches.[4] He also nullified Luís Figo perfectly by blocking all twelve of his dribbles without a concession, making a memorable match against Portugal.[5] He sometimes talks about his experience in marking Figo when appearing on South Korean TV programs.[6]
Feyenoord
After the 2002 World Cup, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal approached Busan I'Cons to get Song, but Busan intentionally delayed the contracts in order to keep him.[7] He strongly expressed his intention to move to a European club by moving his belongings out of the club after his deals with Premier League clubs were scuttled.[7] He eventually joined an Eredivisie club Feyenoord. He made 56 appearances including UEFA Champions League games for Feyenoord in two seasons under Bert van Marwijk. However, his form regressed due to his ankle injuries, and he completely lost his place in the squad after Van Marwijk was replaced by Ruud Gullit.[8]
Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Song returned to South Korea to play for Suwon Samsung Bluewings after leaving Feyenoord in January 2005.[8] In October 2005, he injured his ankle again, and eventually underwent an operation. He came back to the field after five months, but his ability was largely debased as compared with the past.[9]
He was selected for the national team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup despite concern about his condition, and played the first group match against Togo. He successfully obstructed Emmanuel Adebayor, and assisted South Korea's winning goal.[9][10] He showed his worth better than expected, but he was excluded from the subsequent games by the manager Dick Advocaat.
Song became Suwon's key player after the 2006 World Cup, and received the armband in 2008.[11] He scored the winning goal in the 2008 K League Championship final, leading his team to the league title.[12]
Retirement
Song played for Al-Shabab, Ulsan Hyundai, and Tianjin Teda after leaving Suwon in the summer of 2010.[13] He was released by Tianjin at the end of the 2011 season, and announced his retirement in March 2012.[14]
Personal life
In 2003, Song married Kim Jung-ah to the surprise of many of his fans after dating Kim since April 2001. Before the marriage, he had been linked with multiple celebrities including Lee Jin, a member of a Korean girl band Fin.K.L.[15] He presented a bigger surprise three years later by getting divorced.
On 17 December 2006, he married an actress and model Park Yun-soo after an 18-month relationship.[16] The wedding was held privately in front of 100 family and friends. Song became a father six months after the wedding.[17] In October 2015, however, Song once again divorced his wife.[18]
In September 2021, Song signed with DH Entertainment.[19]
Career statistics
Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
^ ab이건 카윗이 잘못했네요.. (송종국이 직접푼썰 100% 실화주의) [Talk with Song Chong-gug]. YouTube.com (in Korean). Kkong-byung-ji-tv. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2021.