In an interview with the Korean media "Jung Ilbo", naturalized player Jens Castrop, who was on the Korean team's roster for the first time, expressed his deep feelings for South Korea.
"I have always attached great importance to my roots and identity. Being selected for the national team is by no means a matter of honor or condition. What is important is where my heart belongs." Even if I had the opportunity to be selected for the German national team, mixed-race midfielder Jens Castrop still chose to join the Korean men's football team, and he has sincere feelings for the Korean national team.
All this cannot be separated from the influence of her mother An Soo-yeon - she has often taken this opportunity to emphasize "your roots are in Korea" since Castrop was young. Ahn Soo-yeon was born in South Korea and studied landscape science at Seoul University. In 1996, she went to Hannover, Germany to study. During this period, she married a local man who worked as a lawyer. She has since settled in Dortmund and raised three sons, and Castrop, born in 2003, is the second son.
An Soo-yeon said: "In the 2000s, I introduced Germany's environmental protection technology in the fields of stormwater management, amusement facilities, etc. to South Korea. At that time, I wanted to do my best to my motherland." She also mentioned: "Since Castrop's childhood, I often said to him, 'Your roots are in South Korea, you must have the identity of a Korean.'."
Even though I know the heavy duty of military service, Castrop still chose to go to South Korea 9,000 kilometers away (playing for the national team). He said: "For me, the South Korean national team is not just a matter of the passport, but a place where I can truly feel the sense of belonging. Of course, I know the issue of military service, but more importantly, I am eager to do my best for the South Korean national team." At the end of the interview, Castrop left a passage like this: "In my blood, 50% is Korean blood, 50% is German blood, but my heart is Korean." He also said: "I hope to prove this with my strength on the field."