Kim Min-jae (footballer)
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Kim with Bayern Munich in 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Kim Min-jae | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 15 November 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Tongyeong, South Korea | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Bayern Munich | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yeoncho Middle School | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Suwon Technical High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Yonsei University | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Gyeongju KHNP | 17 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 52 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Beijing Guoan | 45 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Fenerbahçe | 31 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Napoli | 35 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Bayern Munich | 52 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | South Korea U20 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | South Korea U23 | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017– | South Korea | 69 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:24, 26 April 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kim Min-jae | |
| Hangul | 김민재 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 金玟哉 |
| RR | Gim Minjae |
| MR | Kim Minjae |
| IPA | [kim.min.dʑɛ] |
Kim Min-jae (Korean: 김민재; born 15 November 1996) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the South Korea national team.
After starting out at semi-professional club Gyeongju KHNP for half a year, Kim went on to play for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, where he won two K League 1 titles for two years before transferring to Beijing Guoan in 2019. After two-and-half years at the Chinese Super League, he joined Süper Lig side Fenerbahçe in 2021, and Serie A side Napoli in 2022. He was considered one of the best defenders in the world, when helping Napoli win a Serie A title in the 2022–23 season. Then, in July 2023, he moved to Bayern Munich for €50 million, making him the most expensive Asian player of all time.
Kim is a South Korean international, having progressed from under-20 onwards. He represented the national team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and two editions of the AFC Asian Cup.