According to Bild, Bayern Munich center-back Kim Min-jae treated the entire team to a Korean meal before leaving Jeju Island, South Korea.
The Bundesliga-winning center-back arranged for traditional Korean fried chicken to be delivered to the team's hotel, the JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa, after Tuesday night's friendly match against Jeju SK. Korean fried chicken, served with various sauces and toppings, is a very popular national dish in Kim Min-jae's hometown.
Kim Min-jae hopes this arrangement will bring a shared conclusion to his trip to South Korea. For the host country player, this trip was particularly special; during his three days there, as the number three player, he was the most talked-about person at marketing and fan events.
Bayern Munich's marketing director, Ruben Kasper, stated at the start of their Asian tour: "In South Korea, and indeed throughout Asia, the influence of homegrown heroes is immense. We were already pleasantly surprised by this effect when we accompanied Kim Min-jae to Seoul in 2024. The impact is very strong, both in terms of media partnerships and fan engagement."
Due to his special status during the Asian tour, Kim Min-jae was temporarily appointed captain by head coach Vincent Kompany in the friendly match against Jeju SK. As planned before the match, when he was substituted in the 36th minute, the 22,500 spectators at the Jeju World Cup Stadium, as officially announced by the stadium, gave him a warm round of applause.
Kim Min-jae hopes to continue playing an important role at Bayern Munich in the new season. Despite often being a substitute behind Appleton Umpiquecano and Jonatan Tah last season, the South Korean international told Bild on Monday that he wants to stay at Bayern, despite interest from several top clubs.
Kim Min-jae said in Jeju: "As a player, I am happy and very satisfied with Bayern. I have played some games and given my best in every game, leaving everything on the pitch. I hope to get more opportunities from the coach this season and stay."
