Former Soccer Player Song Jong-gook Embraces Camper Van Life and New Challenges

Former soccer player Song Jong-gook has revealed his life living in a camper van.

On the October 16th episode of MBN's reality show 'Let's Go Season 3', Song Jong-gook's current lifestyle was showcased.

Song is currently living a rural life. Host Hong Hyun-hee greeted him by saying, "You look well." Song replied, "Working in the fields makes me feel at ease," adding, "I spend about five days in Pyeongtaek and two days in Hongcheon, where I relax." He continued, "In Pyeongtaek, I run a soccer school and am preparing a café and campsite." He humorously added, "People think I've settled in the mountains, but I just love the mountains."

When asked by Hong Hyun-hee about his home, Song replied, "I don't have a house yet. I'm living in a trailer as I haven't received residential permission." He introduced his camper van, saying, "When I first came to see the land, the view was breathtaking."

The hosts were curious about the cost of such a camper van, to which Song revealed, "It costs about 70 million won," surprising everyone. The camper van is equipped with a sofa, dining table, kitchen, and bathroom. Song also mentioned, "The kids love the bunk bed on the second floor." He added, "We eat bibimbap the most, with plenty of vegetables, we have it for about two meals a day."

Song also shared why he ventured into sports dance. He said, "It was a challenge. After retiring, I went through a tough time and decided to try something I least wanted to do, which was sports dance and commentary. Both were difficult as I hadn't spoken much or danced before." He continued, "I hadn't challenged myself much before. After living a life revolving around soccer and home, my life changed a lot after my divorce." He added, "Moving to Pyeongtaek was also a challenge, and I've taken on new challenges."

Song has obtained Canadian permanent residency. He stated, "I'm heading to Canada soon. My older brother immigrated there, and I recently received my permanent residency." He explained, "My brother got it through Taekwondo, and I was the last to receive it as a self-employed person before they stopped issuing them." When asked by Ahn Jung-hwan about his plans in Canada, Song humorously replied, "Unemployed?" but added, "The soccer market there seems promising." Ahn expressed regret, asking, "Are you immigrating?" Song replied, "My father is staying here. I'm just going to check it out for now."

Song Jong-gook married Park Yeon-soo in 2006 and divorced in 2015. They have a daughter, Song Ji-a, and a son, Song Ji-wook, who are currently being raised by Park Yeon-soo. Recently, Park hinted at Song's lack of child support by posting an image titled 'Warning Before Anger' with the hashtag "child support" on her Instagram.

Reporter Kim Ji-won, TenAsia bella@tenasia.co.kr