I read the first book 'The Mind of the Real' by Kim Jin-jja, a YouTuber with 900,000 subscribers from Seoul National University. I was drawn in by the tagline about focusing on the essence of life. Above all, I was curious about the source of his unique play in the JTBC soccer entertainment program 'We Should Get Together to Score.'
In the soccer entertainment show 'We Should Get Together to Score,' where legends of the soccer world like Ahn Jung-hwan, Lee Dong-guk, Kim Nam-il, and Park Hang-seo come together to lead the team, midfielder Kim Jin-jja stood out. Among players with overwhelming physical attributes, the diminutive Kim Jin-jja created better spaces with his concise and precise movements.
When it was said that how to connect the distance between livelihood and ideals determines the brightness and dynamism of a person's life, Kim Jin-jja was bright. His brightness and energy were highly contagious. Just like his cost-effective play, which cleverly untangles the knotted thread and pierces accurately, 'The Mind of the Real' is filled with the know-how of achievements accumulated by a life player with 35 years of experience.
As is well known, Kim Jin-jja was active in the soccer club during his time at Seoul National University. After graduating, he went to study exercise physiology at the University of Loughborough in England, known for its sports science, but in the middle, he obtained a UEFA coaching license and worked as a soccer team coach in the 9th division league in England. Now, he is active as a soccer YouTuber that 900,000 subscribers enjoy.
I met a cheerful and energetic 35-year-old man who said, 'Since I was born a human, let's live as fun as possible.' He said that fun became his intrinsic motivation and the gaze of others served as a booster, which naturally helped him build strength in accomplishment.
-Why is your name Jin-jja?
"In the past, when I was in the media commerce business, I saw many people selling fake products. They would say things like, 'If you apply this, all wrinkles will disappear,' or 'If you take this, your health will improve...' But even those products can sell well temporarily if they are advertised convincingly. Because consumers get lured. The characteristic of those people is that they often change their categories and periodically swap brands, and eventually, they disappear from the market.
Seeing those people made me think of brands like Dyson and Apple. It's about taking a steady approach and gaining consumer trust without cutting corners; that’s what is real. If I'm going to do YouTube, I want to create that kind of 'real' with sincerity. I embedded that desire into my name."
-In a society where names are very important, they are a declaration of one's identity.
"That's right. It seems particularly important when I'm deep in thought. When I'm looking for a faster or easier way, the name acts as a brake on my thinking. If someone mocks me in the comments by calling me 'Kim Gajja,' I double-check myself and regain my focus."
In 2019, Kim Jin-jja entered the world of YouTube, where anyone can become a speaker and platform. Initially, he uploaded product reviews and expert interviews, but the responses were not great. The jackpot was hit when he reviewed local Twitter reactions to player Son Heung-min.
-Why didn't you start with soccer content from the beginning?
"Actually, I avoided it on purpose. I dreamt of becoming a coach through my profound love for soccer and went abroad to study in England. I earned my coaching license and even worked as a coach in the 9th division league, but when I actually experienced it, it wasn’t easy, so I returned to Korea. Metaphorically, at that time, I felt like I was dumped by my first love, soccer.
Though I gave up that, I didn’t want to engage in anything related to soccer. But in the end, I returned to soccer. After studying it for 10 years, when I started to upload my own analysis videos based on that, the responses were the greatest."
However, the world of YouTube was a fiercer battlefield than I expected. As similar concept videos began to increase, Kim Jin-jja found his original content and production method. He became the player himself, recreating key moments and coaching in videos, along with resolving copyright issues for soccer photos.
-Was there a turning point?
"Well, some of the videos looked so similar that one might mistake them for mine. Things like the color of arrows and movements. So I started going onto the field myself to implement the details. Ankle bending, waist positioning, trapping postures… Even when I exhibited reproduction performances, I mimicked the players and wore character wigs, making it funny and increasingly unique.
However, when the copyright of overseas soccer videos I was freely using became an issue, my channel got deleted, and since then I have been under contract with Getty Images to use all soccer photos paying royalties."
Since Kim Jin-jja, the payment of copyright when using soccer photos has become the industry standard.
-You don't prolong anything and correct it right away?
"Yes. Because I need to survive."
-Survive?
"Yes. Survival is important to me. I got married when I was twenty-nine. While doing my soccer studies, media commerce business, and YouTube, my wife played the role of the actual provider, working as a nurse. Until then, I insisted on doing what I wanted, really clinging to my dreams, but when both the business and YouTube didn’t yield good results, my wife said.
"'Try doing what you want for three years. After three years, two years, and when the final year comes, you need to earn at least 3 million won a month. If that doesn’t happen, I hope you change your career or become a physical education teacher.'"
I was around thirty, and I felt as if the word 'survival' was chasing me closely. That night, I secretly buried my face in my pillow and cried. My father, who worked in facilities maintenance, and my mother, who ran a beauty salon for thirty years, told me that 'there aren't many people in the world who live doing what they want,' and even when they advised me against pursuing my dreams, I stubbornly maintained that I would live doing fun things.
-How one connects the distance between livelihood and ideals determines the brightness and dynamism of a person's life. You have firmly held onto fun like a rope.
"That seems to be my temperament. I'm someone who cannot do boring work. I've loved soccer since elementary school, and during middle and high school, I was most excited when gathering with friends to form a team and play games. If I wanted to do fun things, I figured I needed to go to a good university, so I was motivated to study as well.
My friends viewed me as 'Chan-hee (Kim Jin-jja's real name), a kid who is good at both soccer and studying,' and I wanted to live up to that image. Ultimately, that image became my identity."
-What are the commonalities between soccer, YouTube, and studying?
"The more you know, the more interesting it gets. But studying generally yields rewards proportionate to the effort put in, whereas soccer seems different. It is harder and more challenging to control. I record 'We Should Get Together to Score' every other Wednesday, and the day before the match, I make sure to rest thoroughly for my condition. Even if I'm adequately prepared, there may be struggles in the actual game.
In that respect, studying seems to be more honest. I remember a perfect score achiever from the 90s interview saying, 'Studying is so much fun.' Studying is about organizing only what is necessary for the children of the present from the knowledge humanity has accumulated over time, so there is joy in gradually understanding that. I think that feeling of discovering the knowledge accumulated by humanity is essential. If there is awareness of the joy of discovery rather than just aiming for high scores...
-Studying can be enjoyable, but… did you enjoy math as well?
"(Waving my hand) No. Math was really hard. When I decided to take the exam again to transfer from Yonsei University to Seoul National University, I felt mentally okay, but the fact that I had to do math again was very painful. I only did it out of a desire for the goal. I really didn’t want to do it; I thought, 'If I can just push through this, I can get through to a whole new life...'
Looking back now, I think I was still immature, but I was trying to think from a long-term perspective. If I endure about three months of pain now, my remaining life can change drastically... I had a strong desire to be in Seoul National University's Department of Physical Education. The idea of being able to play soccer and study freely... Even if I got a perfect score in the college entrance exam, I was going to go that way!"
-Ultimately, your title as 'a YouTuber with 900,000 subscribers from Seoul National University' appeals to the public as an indicator of elite meritocracy. Is a degree from Seoul National University necessary to succeed in YouTube?
"Haha. No. There is no need to graduate from a good university to do this. You can start YouTube without going to college. But there is a halo effect from academic background. People think of someone who can easily and funnily explain soccer as someone who did well in studies... The public perception has been a plus."
-What would you say to children who ask why they must attend college when AI is smarter than me? By the way, I say this: To do what you love well requires long-term training, and the space for learning the basics and attitude of that training is still school, studying, and entrance exams. It's a time to experience skills in problem-solving, patience, and the joy of achievement.
"That's right. The reason for studying is to instill responsibility and consistency into oneself. I wrote this book hoping that my two sons would realize this secret. I've deeply realized the connection between studying and attitude through my social life. You can do work well without a university degree, but the 'effort' that I put in to go to a good university has allowed me to sustain this work.
When I write scripts and create videos, I push myself to the point of real pain. But that is very similar to how I prepared for my midterms in 2nd year of middle school. If I'm a bit behind, I would say, 'Mom, please wake me up at 4 a.m.,' and that attitude of pushing through until the end has carried on to this day.
-Do you have any tips unique to Kim Jin-jja that you would like to share with those who want to excel in studying or working?
"I broke everything down into smaller goals. Rather than reading an entire book, I would just look at the table of contents. Above all, since my school days, my methods have been summarizing and cumulative review. I organized scattered information into one notebook, and when it was time to memorize, I would go back 2-3 pages and then review again and repeat. I faced tough entrance exams that way, and even in the military, there was a time when I memorized ten A4 pages without a single mistake in less than a day."
To put it bluntly, both the brain's memory and the muscle's memorization have the same root. Repetitive practice without complaint becomes an efficient routine, and accepting discomfort creates a growth system for the mind and muscles. Just as the principles of nature, there is no quicker answer than repetition and regeneration.
-Let's talk about soccer. Considering all variables, including talent, effort, good luck, and bad luck, we are assigned our positions on the field of life. What is your position as a defensive midfielder?
"The defensive midfielder does all sorts of dirty work in the middle of the field. I often make fouls to annoy the opposing team's ace and disrupt counter-attacks. My original temperament is peaceful; I won't even tussle with an opposing player when playing neighborhood soccer on the weekends. But when recording 'We Should Get Together to Score,' it’s different. We need to win there, so someone has to take on that role. Even if there was no intention to foul, while trying to stop a counter-attack, I sometimes inadvertently kick the opponent's leg and get scolded.
-Aren't you intimidated when you keep getting warnings?
"I think like this. It's much better if I'm the one receiving warnings rather than my defenders. If I hinder the opposing forward with a foul, my defenders can tackle comfortably behind me. In any organization, everyone has their own roles when playing a team game.
I’m good at distributing passes and breaking the opponent's counter-attack. There is a striker on our team named Choi Jong-woo, who kicks the ball really well. But when the team loses the ball, that friend has to come down to defend as well. Then, he tires quickly. I told him, 'Jong-woo, it would be great if you came down to defend, but if it gets tough, you can come down slowly. I'll run a bit more.'
There's another player on our team, Lee Yong-woo, who is very fast and strong like a dolphin. I can't play that role as quickly as Yong-woo or kick the ball like Jong-woo. However, if I run more and fight more to defend before they come down, then they can play with their talents more comfortably, which raises our team's chances of winning.
-Is winning that important?
"No. I just really like to win. I have an instinctual like for winning. To put it simply, when our team scores, all the players rush over to celebrate with the scorer. I take that moment to drink water or catch my breath. Because when those players rush over to celebrate, they will find it hard to run again when the game resumes, and we might concede a goal then. When my teammates can't run, I try to sprint wildly to defend, so I hold off my urge to celebrate. When we score, I always think about what comes next. I want to win, and I'm afraid of being complacent and getting caught up on.
-When you become a player, your perspective inevitably narrows. How can one keep an eye on the bigger picture?
"I strive to see better, but it doesn’t always work. Still, I try to read the game situation objectively in real-time. There is a world-renowned manager named Louis van Gaal. He has managed Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and the Netherlands national team, and he has criteria for selecting captains. It's not age, longevity with the team, or being the best player, but being a player who can coach as a reference.
He uses players who can directly reflect the style of football the manager wants on the field and coach other players. Pep Guardiola, who is currently one of the best managers, competed with Ferguson and played as a defensive midfielder in the Barcelona team led by Van Gaal, taking the role of captain.
Although it is embarrassing to say, our team’s goalkeeper coach says I take on that role."
-From a coach's perspective, what is the most important area?
"No. I think the most crucial space is the area in front of the center-back, the defender in front of the goalkeeper. If a midfielder falls back and an opposing attacker faces a defender, it's game over. How well that space is protected in front of the center-back is the most important thing in soccer.
Even if my innate physical abilities are lacking, that’s why I can play as a defensive midfielder. It’s about observing shooting and passing angles. When an attacking player is about to take a long-range shot, instead of running straight to block, I move in a circular direction to prevent them from shooting at all. If I only take away the front space, they might shoot if they sidestep, but if I block from far away, they can’t shoot at all. Just a slight angle while running can determine whether it’s a goal or not."
-Are you satisfied with the assessments of being a killer pass, a transition passer, an oracle, and a strategist in the midfield?
"I am satisfied. I believe that it's more fitting for me to be the one who dishes out passes to faster and more skilled friends rather than receiving them. If I had wanted to break through like Messi or play aggressively like Son Heung-min, I would have worked in that direction, but I've liked Zinedine Zidane since I was young.
Being weak and slow, I liked to kick softly like Zidane. I think who you choose as a role model when you are young defines the road you will take. I aim to deliver short passes and occasionally hit long kicks to the space behind.
-It's certainly an energy-efficient play. I also appreciated the frequent communication and quick apologies, which minimized the dissonance caused by your strong desire to win.
"Soccer is genuinely a great sport for honing one’s character. I have learned that from playing soccer since childhood. I hope the opponent doesn’t get hurt, so I lift them up to encourage them. I also ask the referee with a genuine curiosity, 'Why is this a foul and not?'... It's a conversation between people who love soccer.
Since elementary school, I've learned to accept defeat, so I don’t get too excited during games. I try to maintain my calm. Even when I receive a yellow card, I greet the player and stretch them out when they're cramping.
-It is important not to lose courtesy while having fun.
"That's right. That's how I could continue for so long."
Chasing fun created stories, and maintaining courtesy brought good luck.
"Just when things got blocked and I was on the edge, pushing a little further made me burst with excitement, both in my coaching career and soccer videos. Just a little more, just a little more... But I can do that because it's fun."
-In psychology, that state is referred to as 'optimal pain.' Were you ever scared to knock on the door of the unknown?
"No. I never thought knocking was hard. I felt very excited and joyful. I got the chance to coach a lower league team in England because I had the courage to propose it first. I submitted my resume to all 180 Premier League teams, and when I lived in a region called Leyton, I went to the reception of a 4th division team, asking them to deliver my resume to the head coach.
It's not just me; I've heard of an aspiring Japanese coach who wanted to be on the coaching staff of Paris Saint-Germain, where Lee Kang-in plays. He visited the training ground, rain or shine, for 365 days and eventually got a good opportunity. I've also heard about Anh Sung-jae, a chef who wanted to work in the best Japanese restaurant in the U.S., who didn’t hesitate to wear down the threshold by visiting and calling repeatedly.
People find comfort in living similarly to others, but they also enjoy stories about those who live differently. People who love soccer want to do something, whether it’s being a coach, analyst, or referee, even if they can’t play as a player. If that doesn’t work, they would even play games like managing a soccer team at home. Those who enjoy my story often say, 'While I only dreamed at home, you truly achieved it!' I really chased my own particular and unique fun, and that ultimately became my story."
-What was it like to coach in the 9th division in England?
"It was an adult amateur team, and at first, there was a lot of skepticism about having an Asian come to coach. I designed personalized improvements based on past games, repeated them, and worked hard, so they gradually began to trust me. After the games, we would talk in the locker room, shower together, and go to the pub for beers... When I received a message in the group chat saying, 'Your training has made a difference,' I felt truly proud. I realized I had fulfilled my role..."
It’s not that I didn’t experience frustrations; I managed to reduce risks using the engines of fun and courtesy. The most peculiar part of the book is that he suffered from a fear of reading aloud for several years since high school.
-Was the situation serious?
"Hmm... I felt that everyone was laughing at me, and it made me reluctant to go to school; I even considered dropping out. My fear of specific situations intensified. I wished the exam period would continue, fearing that I would be asked to read aloud during regular class. I barely graduated while avoiding presentations during class and got into university, but I wanted to escape that situation. I resolved to face it and sent a note to my professor asking to read aloud.
I wanted to confront my trauma, so I asked to be made to read. The professor made me read short sentences and generously praised me, which gradually helped me gain confidence. By my junior year in college, I felt a sense of accomplishment around the time of presentations. I realized I had completely overcome my fear of reading aloud. I was so happy and thrilled. It felt like every cell in my body was cheering for me.”
Having overcome my reading fear is the reason I am here now. "It became a tremendous turning point. I thought to myself, ‘If I could overcome this, what couldn't I handle?’ If I hadn’t overcome that, I wouldn’t be able to stand in front of the camera. I truly battled through it."
After that, he taught soccer in English in England and stood in front of the live camera as a soccer commentator. He interviewed international soccer stars in English. Even when he conducts interviews in English with Manchester City players, he still goes through a mental rehearsal in his head about 100 times.
-Now, there is almost no noise between languages.
"To speak as I do now, I think deeply during my daily life. To express my opinions smoothly anywhere, I have to be prepared, and I do that by conversing a lot with my wife. It's similar to the 'study method' of summarizing the core while explaining something to someone. Engaging in continuous conversation about a specific topic helps clarify my thoughts. Thankfully, my wife listens well and provides appropriate feedback."
-When designing high-risk, high-return YouTube content, what do you pay the most attention to?
"When YouTube started to take shape, I pondered whether to go with character or content. I debated whether to find sources internally or externally. For instance, while a channel maximizing character appeal is named 'Chimchak-man,' a channel pushing the content itself operates on a basis like 'Shuka World.' I lean toward the latter.
Although I spoke of survival, YouTube is a genre with significant risks. Since it’s uncertain when it will end, I concluded that focusing on the latter increases the likelihood of survival in this business. The stories I can extract from my own experiences are far less abundant than issues found in the soccer community. It is most stable to unearth stories that soccer fans would enjoy, curate them with the mindset of a creator, and slightly overlay my opinions.
Another of my identities is 'the one who touches sentences.' I write video scripts directly without a writer, and every word I write goes through considerable contemplation. I analyze games intensively, but I try not to criticize players. I don’t want to say anything that would hurt the players or their families. My wife advises me to remove commentary and only focus on curation, but until now, I have been cautiously adding my opinions.
I said I would approach YouTube not as a business, but with a writer’s mindset. Rather than being a profitable solo broadcasting station with a production team and advertising sales system, I want it to be a communication platform that builds good content while speaking the words I want to say to the world.
What would work look like as a creation rather than as a product, as an activity rather than as labor? In the near future, when the number of overseas subscribers increases with English subtitles and AI English dubbing, wouldn't there also be legendary stars from the Premier League? His vision of prioritizing fun over money draws our gaze beyond this narrow world shown by competition and efficiency.
-Who is a memorable person among the connections you’ve made in life?
"There are two people. One is my coach, Hee-ho (Kim Hee-ho), whom I met during my time with the Seoul National University soccer team. It was thanks to Hee-ho that I moved beyond neighborhood soccer and went abroad for my studies. Originally, I relied on primary sensory data to play neighborhood soccer, but Hee-ho taught me a broader perspective as if he had a drone flying above the pitch.
The other is, of course, Son Heung-min. He is the head of my household. Haha. Thanks to him, my views skyrocketed, and I could have a child and live doing what I love. After Son Heung-min won in the Europa League, his emotional words also provided great strength to me: 'I apologize to those who love me that it took so long to win, and I hope those who do not like me have a reason to think a little better of me.' Watching how a big star treats the public teaches me a lot."
The conversation was like riding waves between fun and courtesy, studying, and love, with segments featuring his wife 'Yoo-jung', whom he describes as the person who best listens to him and facilitates synchronization between their minds through plenty of conversation. Even so, she is the one who puts brakes on him by urging, ‘Face the mistakes.’ He confidently confesses that the best decision of his life was loving her.
He said to receive good ties as gifts, you must first be smiling. If I am smiling, others will smile too, and the illusion that 'people like me' will dispel my insecurities.
-As a father of two and a life player with 35 years of experience, how do you want to live moving forward?
"Fortunately, I casually reflected on existential questions in my first year of high school. I became aware of my finite life while looking at the stars in the night sky. I thought, ‘Let's live this one life fun and without regrets...’ After having children, I come to realize how fortunate I am to have been born. I might never have left the cosmos in atomic form... When I think of this, this life feels like a gift. I want to remember that and try to live as lightly and fully as possible."
'I probably existed in the world like Joo-won, not appearing until suddenly popping up… feeling, touching, standing, falling, making friends, taking midterms, piercing killer passes, and engaging in love, I ended up here… I feel like I could live more lightly… I hope this lightness and fullness spreads a bit longer and further.' - From Kim Jin-jja's 'The Mind of the Real.'