ATTENTION ON NEW SOCCER ROOKIE

[Anchor Lead]

Soccer player Um Won-sang is making fast improvements while playing in the K-league. His impressive performance attracted attention at last year's FIFA U-20 World Cup. He is especially praised for being as fast as the South Korean Premier League player Son Heung-min.

[Pkg]

​Surrounded by four defenders, Um Won-sang manages to net an impressive goal. Following the equalizer, he, with his amazing speed, scored another goal to break the tie. By netting two goals, the midfielder helped his team come from behind and win the game. He also amused fans by presenting a funny goal celebration in reference to an injured teammate.

[Soundbite] UM WON-SANG(GWANGJU FC) : "Before the match, Lee Eu-ddeum asked me to do a special goal celebration. When you turn like this, it looks like the number eight. Lee's shirt number is eight. Through the goal celebration, I wished he will soon recover from the injury and return to the field."

Um scored just two goals in the K-League's second division last season. But after moving up to the first division, he is making remarkable improvements this year. His shooting has improved the most under manager Park Jin-seop's one-on-one coaching. His biggest strength is the extraordinary speed with which he finishes a 100-meter run in some eleven seconds. Fans nicknamed the rookie Umsala or Umterling--coined words combining the names of him and Premier League stars Mohamed Salah and Raheem Sterling.

[Soundbite] "I am honored to have such nicknames. I like both of them."

After a fine performance during last year's U-20 World Cup, Um is now working hard towards his next goal of playing in the Olympics.

[Soundbite] "Manager Kim Hak-bum always keeps a close eye on games. So I expect he will choose me if I work harder and better."