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ZERO FIELD
"There is no future for Korean soccer." A grand project to revive Korean soccer.
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Published at 2025-10-19 | Updated at 2026-02-08
THE GENESIS
SPORTS DAILY CHRONICLE
March 15, 2035
Issue No. 2847 | Est. 2018
The Secret to the Birth of the Next Generation Ace
The 'Division 0' Behind Ji Kang-woo's Myth
Government-led RE:GENESIS Project Relaunched
Government-led RE:GENESIS Project Relaunched
▲ Ji Kang-woo, who conquered the Premier League at the age of 18. Behind his success was a national project.
Key Summary
• Ji Kang-woo is the first success story of the government's secret agency 'Division 0'
• The RE:GENESIS project ran for 8 years starting in 2027
• The second project officially commenced in March 2035
• Goal: Nurture the next generation national team striker
→ "Geniuses can be made again"
Five Years After Son Heung-min, An Era of Void 2026 Qatar World Cup. Son Heung-min played his final match for the Taeguk Warriors at the age of 32. Though they stopped in the Round of 16, his tears symbolized the end of an era for Korean football. For the next five years, Korean football failed to find a "next-generation ace." While there were players active in Europe, there was no "icon" like Son Heung-min. The public asked, "Can we have a player like Son Heung-min again?" The government answered, "We can make one."
Division 0, and RE:GENESIS In 2027, the South Korean government secretly launched a special project. Its name was 'RE:GENESIS' — a project to recreate genius. The managing agency was 'Division 0.' It was a government-affiliated talent development agency that officially did not exist. They selected promising players under the age of 10 from across the country. One of them was Ji Kang-woo. Eight years of rigorous training, scientific analysis, psychological management, and world-class coaching staff. Ji Kang-woo was a "manufactured genius." And he succeeded. As of 2035, he is the biggest star in the Premier League and a new symbol of Asian football.
Interview with a Division 0 Official
"We don't discover talent. We 'design' talent. Ji Kang-woo was our first finished product, and now we are ready to create our second. This time, more perfectly, stronger."
— Division 0 Head Coach (Requested anonymity)
RE:GENESIS 2.0 Launched
• Target candidates: Promising players nationwide aged 12-19
• Number of selected players: Only 1
• Training period: Minimum 3 years
• Goal: Starting striker for the 2040 World Cup national team
• Budget: Undisclosed (Estimated over 50 billion KRW)
→ "Recruitment notice is confidential, selection is conducted in extreme secrecy"
▲ Overview of Division 0 training facilities (leaked). Location remains highly classified.
Between Controversy and Expectation The project sparked heated debate as soon as it was revealed. Some experts criticized it as "unethical practice of using young players as experimental subjects." However, others defended it, saying, "Isn't there the success case of Ji Kang-woo?" The Korea Football Association has not made an official statement, but it is known to fully support the project internally. Public opinion was also divided. One online community favored the opinion, "If we can create another Son Heung-min, it's worth trying," while another voiced opposition, "It's wrong to raise children like machines." But one thing was clear: South Korea, once again, wanted a "genius."
Who Will Be the Next Ji Kang-woo? The selection process for RE:GENESIS 2.0 has already begun. Scouts are moving across the country, and rumors are circulating in some youth clubs that "individuals believed to be Division 0 officials have visited training grounds."
▲ Individuals presumed to be Division 0 scouts were spotted at a national youth tournament. (Photo=Reader Submission)
A youth football coach, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "One of my team's players was suddenly invited for a 'special interview.' His parents didn't know who the contact was from either. A few days later, the child quit school and is now unreachable." Such cases are being reported nationwide, but Division 0 has made no official announcement.
Some parents are anxious. Voices of "I'm afraid my child will be selected" and "I hope my child is selected too" coexist. Korean society is now divided over the grand experiment of "making geniuses."
Some parents are anxious. Voices of "I'm afraid my child will be selected" and "I hope my child is selected too" coexist. Korean society is now divided over the grand experiment of "making geniuses."
▲ Interior of a facility believed to be where Ji Kang-woo trained in his youth. (Source: Leaked material)
Expert Opinion
"Division 0's training methods are on a different level from typical youth development. Psychology, nutrition, biomechanics, and AI-based customized training are all employed. The problem is that all of this is 'confidential.' Without transparency, ethical verification is impossible."
— Professor Park Min-joon, Sports Psychologist
Ji Kang-woo Says: "I Have No Regrets"
What does Ji Kang-woo himself, the center of the controversy, think? In an interview with a foreign media outlet last month, he replied:
"Were the times spent at Division 0 difficult? Of course. It was hell. But it made me who I am. I have no regrets. If I were to be reborn, I would make the same choice."
— Ji Kang-woo, in an interview with foreign media in January 2035
His words imply a lot. That the training at Division 0 was harsh, and that despite that, he views the process positively. This is the duality of the RE:GENESIS project. The successful become heroes, but what happens to the failures? No one knows the answer to that question yet.
One thing is certain: in 2035, the world of Korean football is once again waiting for a "genius." And that genius is being made somewhere, at this very moment.
One thing is certain: in 2035, the world of Korean football is once again waiting for a "genius." And that genius is being made somewhere, at this very moment.
RE:GENESIS 2.0
Who will write the next legend?
The answer will be revealed soon.
The answer will be revealed soon.
This article is a special feature from the March 15, 2035 issue of the Korea Sports Daily Chronicle.
Reporter: Kim Tae-young | Editor: Lee Soo-jin | Photos: Park Jun-hyuk, Reader Submissions
© Korea Sports Daily Chronicle All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution are prohibited.
Reporter: Kim Tae-young | Editor: Lee Soo-jin | Photos: Park Jun-hyuk, Reader Submissions
© Korea Sports Daily Chronicle All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution are prohibited.
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