“I am thinking about retiring after reaching 200 appearances for the national team.”

Ji So-yun, a living legend of Korean women's football, has set a clear target for the final chapter of her international career: reaching 200 games before hanging up her cleats.

The 35-year-old Suwon FC Women midfielder won a bronze medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and is now in her 20th year as a member of the national team. She first donned the Taegeuk mark in 2006 at the age of 15. Since making her Asian Games debut in Doha, Qatar, that year, she has competed in six games, including Guangzhou, China, in 2010, Incheon in 2014, Jakarta-Palembang, Indonesia, in 2018, Hangzhou, China, in 2022 and this year's tournament.

In a recent interview with Hankook Ilbo at the Suwon Athletes' Tillage, Ji spoke candidly about her retirement plans.

“I think I could reach 200 appearances sometime next year or the year after,” she said.

Ji holds the Korean record for most appearances and goals in international matches, with 182 caps and 76 goals. On the men's side, Son Heung-min (151 caps, 59 goals) surpassed former national team coach Cha Bum-kun's previous scoring record of 58 goals on Oct. 6. Ji, however, had already reached the 59-goal mark five years earlier, in September 2021, during a 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifying match against Mongolia.

She has continued to make Korean football history every time she takes the field for the national team.

“If my body remains in its current condition, I would also like to play at next year's FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. My goal in life is to finish my national team career on a high note,” she said.

The next Asian Games are scheduled to be held in Doha, Qatar, where Ji made her Asian Games debut. If the tournament goes ahead as planned in 2030, she will be 39.

“If I get selected, I'll give it a go. Representing the national team has been an immense honor, both 20 years ago and now,” she said.

Below are excerpts from the interview.

Q. You have just completed your sixth Asian Games. How do you feel?

The color of the medal wasn't what we initially hoped for, but I was very happy that we beat China, a formidable opponent, for the first time in the 11 years since the 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup. I think the players gained confidence from that 1-0 victory, especially with more matches against China coming up — including the qualifying campaign for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Q. You created several scoring opportunities against China, but your teammates were unable to convert them. Was that frustrating?

I actually tend to shout at my teammates quite a lot. When opportunities come, they need to take them. Scoring gives players the confidence and energy to keep going, so I push my teammates to stay focused and make the most of their chances.

Q. Do the younger players listen to you?

Of course. If they don't want to listen to me, they should come back after playing at least 150 international matches themselves. I've played in many international tournaments and spent nine years in England with Chelsea Women, so my teammates recognize that experience. The younger players take what I say seriously, but they also speak their minds when they have something to say.

Q. Are there any younger players with whom you have particularly good chemistry? Yoon Soo-jung has stood out for both Suwon FC and the national team.

Yoon Soo-jung (24, Suwon FC Women) wouldn't have survived without us. At the club, she's surrounded by three senior players: me, Kim Hye-ri and Kwon Eun-som. If she makes even one mistake, she gets an earful from the veterans. But Yoon has a good personality. She quickly moves on from things she needs to forget and learns from her seniors when there's something to be learned. She's adorable when she's playing well, but when she's not, I end up shouting at her again. Still, she's developing well. We need more players like her if Korean women's football is to continue improving.

Q. You have competed in six Asian Games. Would you consider playing in one more?

I'll be 39 by then. I haven't really thought that far ahead. As for next year's World Cup in Brazil, I think I could play if my body stays in its current condition. If coach Shin Sang-woo selects me, I'll be grateful for the opportunity and go. If I continue doing what I've been doing, I believe the younger players will follow my lead.

Q. Do you think Korean women's football can catch up with the rest of the world? It seems like a difficult task.

Honestly, the gap has become enormous. Women's football around the world is developing at an incredible pace, and I think the difference has grown even more over the past four or five years. It could take at least 10 years for us to catch up.

The English Football Association invested heavily in women's football through a five-year development plan, including expanding infrastructure. As a result, matches involving professional women's teams such as Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City, where I used to play, started attracting quite a few spectators. Ultimately, investment is what creates returns. I also hope to see the media paying more attention to women's football.

Q. In August, there was controversy over a referee's "girls' day" remark during a league match.

I could hear the referees talking and laughing among themselves at the time. If younger players, such as high school or university students, had heard those comments, they probably wouldn't have been able to say anything. Fortunately, I spent a long time playing overseas and I am also president of the Korea Professional Football Players' Association, so I couldn't just stay silent. I think the referee assumed that showing me a yellow card would make me quiet. But I protested because I didn't want anything like that to happen to other players again. At the same time, I understand that referees are human and can make mistakes. Still, I didn't feel comfortable seeing that referee seemingly subjected to a witch hunt.

Q. Will next year's World Cup be your last dance with the national team?

I think next year's World Cup will effectively be my last. Kim Hye-ri (36, Suwon FC Women) and I are probably more eager than anyone to make it happen. Korea's best-ever result at a Women's World Cup was reaching the round of 16 at the 2015 tournament in Canada. That was already 11 years ago. Women's football around the world is developing so quickly that even winning one match at the World Cup is becoming increasingly difficult.

Q. Lionel Messi once reversed his decision to retire from international football. Could you do the same?

I watched Messi play his farewell match for Argentina against Benin. I know that day will eventually come for me, too, and it made me feel very sad. We've been fortunate to live in an era with players like Messi and Ronaldo. They have given us so much happiness. I didn't want that day to come for Messi, but eventually it did. Watching him cry and express his sadness made me feel as though it could happen to me. It didn't feel like someone else's story.

Q. You have played in six Asian Games, three World Cups and spent nine years in England with clubs including Chelsea. Can Korean women's football catch up with the rest of the world?

Honestly, the gap is now enormous. When I was playing for Chelsea (2014-22), things weren't like this. The difference has widened dramatically over the past four or five years. I think it will take at least ten years for us to catch up. We need sustained investment, taking inspiration from the FA's five-year plan to develop women's football in England. The media also needs to show more interest. When I played for Chelsea, even matches in England weren't broadcast on television. These days, they are.

Q. You have played for the national team for 20 years but have never served as captain. Why is that?

I talk enough and take charge without wearing the armband . The coaches rarely asked me to be captain, either. I speak up to younger players without needing the captain's armband, and Kim Hye-ri does an excellent job as captain. I don't intend to take on that role with the national team in the future, either. At my club, however, I am currently the captain. Even there, I delegate responsibilities to the players just below me, telling them things like, "You take care of this" or "Make sure you teach the younger players that." I need my teammates to help out. A captain already has so much to think about.

Q. Earlier this year, you spoke out on behalf of the women's national team players, calling for better treatment and conditions. You also faced criticism.

Honestly, if I don't speak up, who will? I was disappointed that the issue was reduced to headlines about business class flights. But if we don't raise these issues, nobody will listen. I want younger players to train and compete in better conditions than I had. I knew I might face criticism when I spoke out, and I'm prepared to take it. If people are going to criticize someone, they can criticize me. Still, seeing things gradually change and improve has made me feel that speaking up was the right thing to do.

Q. How do you view the recent turmoil surrounding the men's national team?

It's unfortunate, if the media reports are true. I felt particularly sorry for Son Heung-min. For a team to become a united group, players need to follow their captain, and the senior players in the middle need to guide the younger ones. If Argentina has Messi, Korea has Son Heung-min. Son is truly a great player. I hope the younger players can follow his lead and move forward together. Unity among the senior players is crucial. The younger players watch and learn from everything the older players do. That's why it matters so much.

Q. You have competed in many tournaments this year. Has it been a satisfying season?

Suwon FC Women won the WK League title and secured direct qualification for the championship final on Nov. 15. We also recently won the National Sports Festival. I want to win the final of the W Korea Cup on Nov. 21 and become the inaugural champions of the competition. Above all, I hope to finish the year without any injuries.